Love is Like a Square
by IzzyLawliet69
Summary: Hope gathered enough courage to go after the apple of his eye. But with everyone pining over each other, will Hope lose his love in the intricate web of love and revenge? Lightning's inner turmoil sure isn't helping the situation. HopexLight VanillexFang
1. Never Ending Confessions

**Authoress' Note: I'M BACK! I BROUGHT WEAPONS, TOO! …No, seriously, today I bought a model of Sasuke's katana, and, hell yeah, it's sitting in my lap right now. Anywho, I know I just finished Cherry Bubblegum, but I thought this was a great story line I actually have planned out! I still haven't finished the game, either. I'm on chapter 11, in the middle of the fight with the Fal'Cie Dahaka. If only Hope didn't die so easily… **

**Just to avoid confusion, in the first (italicized) part of this chapter, bold words are thoughts, of emphasized words. I thought it was pretty easy to tell the difference, but to some people it may not be as obvious… Enjoy!

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_**Day One; Hope**_

_Claire "Lightning" Farron slumped against a wall for support. Sighing, she began wringing her hands nervously. Her fingers twisting, she was sure the leather of her gloves left imprints on her calloused palm. Hope looked expectantly up to his mentor, awaiting the answer of a lifetime. He tried desperately to meet Lightning's cerulean eyes, but she refused to make eye contact. Once again, she let out a thoughtful sigh. Many thoughts swam in her murky mind; hundreds of anxious butterflies fluttered in her empty stomach. A pained groan escaped her lips. "Hope, we… we can't," she choked out, her voice no more than a raspy whisper. She turned to leave the teenage boy to his thoughts when a hand grasped her shoulder. Out of instinct, she spun around, gunblade drawn. With the sharp blade at his throat, Hope didn't dare speak. Lightning's eyes no longer held the kindness and concern she usually showed Hope. Her crystal orbs were cold, no emotion slipping through as she stared at the silver haired boy. Reluctantly, she holstered her gunblade in its rightful place. "We're done here." Even with the stern tone in her voice, Hope didn't make to leave. "That's an order." When he still didn't budge, Lightning began walking to camp alone. _

_ "You're just a coward." Hope may have muttered the words under his breath, but Lightning's highly trained ears picked up the challenge apparent in his threat. Those few words spiked her temper. Already she could feel the heat of an angered flush rising to her face. She'd stopped in her tracks, prepared to slaughter Hope if he went on. Ignoring the obvious tension in the air, Hope went on to say, "You can't even admit it to yourself. You love me as much as I love you. You can't stand being emotionally dependent on someone, Light. But I'm here for you. Always." _

_ Lightning chuckled humorlessly. The situation she found herself in was anything but funny, but it was all she could to from snapping. It was true, she does care about Hope. Up until then, she thought it was on a brother-sister, maybe even a mother-son, level. But Hope confessed his love—that he was __**in love**__—for Lightning. Things between the two would never be the same. No amount of time, no growth, no replacement would fix what was lost in that moment. As a second, unwanted thought, Lightning asked herself what could have been gained from Hope's mature words. _

_ She was fighting an internal battle tougher than anything she'd faced before. Behemoth Kings and powerful Fal'Cie were easier to beat than the argument her head and heart were dueling out. __**Keep a cool head**__, she chided. __**I want this—no, need this, as much as him**__, she concluded. Not even a millisecond later, Lightning ran over the endless consequences. Their age difference, never mind the fact that Hope wasn't even legal, was among the most prominent factors. Lightning imagined the looks of scorn the couple would receive if they went through with their desires. More importantly—__**what would Serah think? **__All of these complicated thoughts overwhelmed Lightning. The ex-soldier cried out, gloved hands grasping at her pink locks. She fell to her knees, tears threatening to fall. Swallowing the unshed droplets of salt water, she spoke, "Why do you do this to me, Hope?" Much to her surprise, her voice didn't crack, but was strong and sure. _

_ Hope rushed to her side. Resting his hands reassuringly on her shoulders, he whispered words of comfort to her lithe form. After Lightning's breath evened out, the boys, as proud as ever, told her, "It's what you do to me, Light." Her eyes disobeyed her command my meeting the sparkling green pools of sheer love in front of her. "Please, just give me—us—a chance."_

_ The corners of her mouth tugged upward in a small, but still there, smile. "You're too sweet for your own good, Hope."_

Hope recalled that day a month ago, the day he finally told Lightning of his undying love for her. The woman's reluctance was great, as was the internal battles she fought day in and day out as Hope tried to make some kind of physical contact with her. Even when they'd spar for fun, Lightning would do everything in her power to keep from touching the boy. This saddened him to no end. When he brought the subject up with Lightning, she simply dismissed it. But a few days later, she'd allow him to brush his fingers against hers when the others weren't lucky. On occasion, she'd even initiate contact. Each time their skin touched, Hope's heart would pound in his ears, skip a beat, and then threaten to pop out of his ribs. With each sunrise, his love for the older woman would only grow. Never would his thirst for her affection be satisfied.

Sighing contentedly, Hope grabbed two buckets and made his way to a nearby river. The group set up camp in a clear, blossoming meadow somewhere on the plains of Gran Pulse. Hope had come to realize that Gran Pulse was, in fact, nothing at all like hell. Aside from the dangerous plant life scattered about and feral creatures roaming at all times of the day, Pulse was a getaway. If worse comes to worst, Hope decided, Gran Pulse would be the choice place for Cocoon to rebuild its society. He quickly smothered these condescending thoughts; he knew for sure they'd get out of this mess with Cocoon in one piece.

"What's got you all happy?" Fang's exotic accent rang out in crisp air.

Startled, Hope nearly dropped the empty buckets hanging loosely in his gloved hands. "I was, uh, just, um, thinking about what would happen after this l'Cie thing is over…" He wanted to smack himself for the lame lie, but from the look on her face, he guessed Fang didn't really care all too much about why he was happy—as long as he wasn't bringing the team down, he supposed she wouldn't mind him at all. With that thought in mind, Hope began his journey to the rushing riverbanks he could hear sliding against smooth rocks.

About half way to his destination, soft footsteps reached his ears, causing them to perk up under his silver hair. Alarms went off in his head in warning. Through his slight paranoia, he did his best to stay calm. A giggle seeped through his warning bells, a sound he recognized to be Vanille's sugar coated laugh. He couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle at his own foolishness. No one else was in Gran Pulse—at least, no one that could giggle so much like a human. He was silly to even think about some enemy hunting him down when he was alone.

Vanille caught up with Hope easily, as the boy turned to face the pink-haired girl. Her smile reached her round eyes in a jovial way that made Hope want to burst into a giant grin himself. "I thought you could use some help. Fang sure does use a lot of water, anyway," she explained, her slight accent sending shivers up Hope's spine. Dismissing the strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, Hope began walking once again. The two sauntered lazily closer and closer to the soft whisper of flowing water. Vanille broke the calm silence. "You seem a lot happier lately." Hope was listening, but gave no outward signs of worry. Inside, he began panicking. _Does she know about Lightning and me? _But the thought was absurd, he knew. Lightning promised not to tell anyone, just as she made Hope promise to keep their relationship between the two of them. "Lightning, too. Must be something in the Gran Pulse air!" She giggled, swishing her hips in excitement. Hope's green eyes followed the sensual movements. He knew it was wrong; he and Lightning were together. Even if they weren't, he was in love with the woman. It seemed to him that merely glancing at another woman than his own was cheating. Guilt took over his features. "Oh, did I say something wrong?"

"Of course not!" He replied a bit too quickly. "I just have a lot on my mind right now," Hope said lamely. Nervously, he clenched and unclenched his hands around the thin handle of the metal buckets.

However, Vanille didn't seem too convinced. "If it isn't too much trouble," she began, unsure, "I wanted to talk to you about something. Something… Important." Giggling, she continued, "That's actually why I came out here in the first place."

Setting the now full buckets on the soft blades of grass, Hope smiled at Vanille, urging her to go on. His legs crossed over one another as he took a seat on the ground. His smile growing wider, he patted the spot beside him, motioning for Vanille to sit there.

Blushing madly, she took her rightful spot mere inches from Hope's warm body. Failing miserably, she tried to look anywhere but his emerald orbs. Voice unsteady, she said, "Hope, I… I'm in love with you."

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_**Day One; Lightning**_

"Where's Hope?" Trying to keep her voice from sounding to urgent, Lightning knelt beside Snow's large form. "He said he was going to fetch some water, but that was over two hours ago…" Suspicious, she decided to ask the others if they'd seen the young teen run off someplace after the sun set below the horizon.

Snow pulled off one of his gloves, then the other. "I don't know. Vanille's gone, too. Fang just asked me about her. Maybe they went of to make out in the woods or something." Snow winked at Lightning, laughing uncontrollably. "Never knew the kid had it in him."

Lightning knew he was joking, but she couldn't help the pang of jealousy she felt. She knew Hope was totally and completely loyal to her, like a lost puppy. Then again, he was a teenage boy with needs. Without realizing it, Lightning thought that Hope had grown impatient of the woman's need to wait until he was 18 before they did anything intimate. Perhaps her simple, school-girl-in-love love wasn't enough for him. Hell, maybe her body wasn't enough for him. Vanille sure did a great job flaunting every little thing she had—something Lightning could never, in a million years, do. Sighing, she tried to shake away these unwanted thoughts.

Through their perilous journey, Lightning had come to lean on Hope. When she needed someone's shoulder to cry on, he'd be there, waiting with open arms; when she needed someone to hold her, he'd let her slip into his bedroll without a second thought; when she needed someone to love her like no one else, he'd come to her rescue. Although she hated to admit it, she had, indeed, become very dependent on whatever Hope had to offer. That's why, no matter how stupid and childish they may be, thoughts of Hope moving on, doing _things_ with someone other than her made her want to stab herself with her very own gunblade.

"Why the long face, sis?" She'd forgotten she wasn't in the comfort of her tent, but was still kneeling beside Snow. "Was it about Hope and Vanille? I'm sure their both fine, and not doing anything inappropriate. But I have seen the way she looks at the kid—like he's a piece of meat. Poor kid, gonna have to face the wrath of Fang if he wants to get to Vanille."

This took Lightning off guard. "What?" she asked dumbly, mind turning to mush.

Snow looked at her like she'd grown two more heads. "Are you kidding me? You haven't noticed? Everyone around here's got it whipped. Fang's in over her head for Vanille, duh. Vanille definitely has a thing for Hope, and Hope follows you like a love-sick child. I bet Sazh is crushing on someone, too." He chuckled. Between fits of laughter, he went on, "Better watch out, sis. Soon you'll be falling for me!" Hands gripped his sides from the pain of laughing to hard. Tears sprang from his eyes after his giggle-fest died down a bit.

A blush came unwillingly to her face, pink dusting her pale cheeks. Snow soon found out that Lightning can hit a lot harder than any beast in Gran Pulse.

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**Authoress' Note: OMG! This HopexLightning is my new favorite pairing, even more than SasuNaru, which is saying a lot because I am a total yaoi fangirl! And I think I made the whole "square/love" thing a bit too obvious a bit too soon, ne? Oh well, I thought this was a decent first chapter. I hope y'all think so too!**

**THIS IS NOT A ONE SHOT! I know it's kinda short, but I loved the ending! There will be more chapters. I can't say how many, not even a guestimation. I have quite a bit of story line planned out (that's rare…), so it may reach ten chapters, it may not. It could even go on… for….. ever. I doubt it. I'll probably get bored of it sooner or later, but meh, I'll try my best! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! I want to know if people are, indeed, reading my stories and liking them. **

**Okay, I was talking to someone and she said she hated when A/Ns are in the beginning of a chapter, as this placement takes away from the value of a story. I'd really like your opinion on the matter. I want to make my stories to the liking of all my readers, so your opinion does matter! Drop a review of message me about it! I want to hear what you have to say! (I, personally, don't care either way. Most of the time I just skim over the A/N.)**

**I warmly welcome constructive criticism. I really do like it when people are honest with me, without being rude about it. I just want to know y'all's opinion on things. Without you guys, I could never improve my writing. **


	2. The Heart Gets What the Heart Wants

**Authoress' Note: Quick warning:**

**This chapter contains what you may think to be 'adult content.' There is no lemon or anything, but it references to something of that nature. I don't want to change the rating of this story to M, as I don't think it needs it. You have been warned—please don't take offence to anything in this story!**

**I don't own any of the characters of Final Fantasy XIII, sadly.

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_**Day One; Hope**_

Her face was almost as pink as her hair as she stared at the ground intently. Green eyes avoided the normally boisterous figure in front of him; no way did he want to see her reaction when he rejected her. Thinking his words over carefully, Hope found no way to let Vanille down easily. Knowing her, she'd start bawling and run off. Hope didn't want to have to deal with Fang when she found the young girl crying because of him. The thought of Fang and the others sent a pang of guilt through his body. If they found out about this little conversation, would they look down on him for being so harsh with her? He doubted it, but it was indeed a possibility. Momentarily, he recalled a time when Sazh said, _"Hurt one of us, hurt all of us." _

Letting out a deep sigh, Hope gingerly placed a hand on Vanille's bare shoulder. She stiffened at his touch and began shivering. Still, she said nothing to him. The blush on her cheeks was beginning to fade to its normal rosy shade, her eyes still devoid of any emotion. Her body language, Hope noticed, showed all of her anguish boiling in her heart. No longer could he take it; "Vanille, I'm sorry, but… I don't feel the same about you." As a second thought, he added with a small smile, "But I hope we can still be friends."

His smile died as Vanille lifted herself from her slouched position, arms crossed stubbornly over her chest. A mischievous grin nearly split her face in two; evil glinted in her clear eyes. "I'm not going to let you go that easy." Uncharacteristically, her voice carried waves of sure-fire aggression. Fear and confusion crossed Hope's face at her tone. Never had she said anything like that to him, or to anyone as far as he knew. "I'm not all sunshine and rainbows, you know!" With those words of spite, Vanille ran off, arms swinging with exaggerated movement, hips swishing invitingly.

Hands resting limply in his lap, Hope looked down at his feet. _I can't carry three buckets of water all by myself…

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_**Day One; Lightning**_

Soft whispers of shuffling fabric shattered the silence of midnight; rustling tent flaps sounded through the crisp air. Moonlight filtered through the open crack of a small shelter. Lightning tossed and turned in her bedroll, trying to find the most comfortable position. But without the familiar warmth of a nearby body, she couldn't sleep. Emotional dependence scared Lightning; she didn't want to admit that she couldn't function alone. Her relationship with Hope seemed to have been changing the warrior more than she'd like to admit. With a frustrated sigh, she rolled on her right side once again and began staring at the fabric of the tent in front of her. She hoped against all hope that she'd find herself bored enough to sleep. Alas, this attempt was in vain.

"Hope, look what you've done to me," she said angrily. Huffing, she folded her arms across her chest from beneath her bedroll.

A quiet chuckle made her ears perk up. The gruff voice was too generic for her to realize who it is. Her gunblade was resting, folded and tucked in its holster, a few yards away from her—just out of reach. Mentally kicking herself, she sat up slowly, blanket following her every move. The cold breeze that passed through the night chilled Lightning's bare arms. She cursed herself for choosing that night to wear that stupid tank top Serah always insisted she wear to "sex up her feminine side." While putting it on, she thought about surprising Hope with her unusually revealing clothing. Her doubts from earlier that day (courtesy of Snow) caused her rational frame of mind to momentarily disappear. At that moment, though, she tried not to think of Hope, but ways to save herself if this intruder decided to attack.

Facing away from the opening of her sleeping place, she growled, "Who's there?"

Another chuckle erupted from the stranger. This only angered Lightning more. Just as she was about to jump the guy, said person spoke, "What is it I do to you?"

Lightning forced herself to swallow the squeal threatening to escape her mouth. Lightning Farron does _not_ squeal. She did, however, jump up to her feet. Much to Hope's surprise and pleasure, she pulled the boy into a tight embrace. Arms circled around his neck, Hope wished he was just six inches taller—tall enough to be man enough for Lightning. He pushed away any depressing thoughts as he wrapped his own arms around Lightning's waist. Warm hands rested lightly on her hips, the soft skin exposed from the woman's night clothing riding up. A blush crept past Hope's cheeks and heated up his ears so that they were an angry red.

As quickly as she mauled him, Lightning pulled away. She was gripping his shoulders roughly, keeping him at an arm's length away. "Don't you ever scare me like that. Got it, Estheim?" The commanding tone in her voice nearly made him pee his pants like a child being scolded; then again, he supposed that's what he was to her—a child. Unconfident in his words, he simply nodded. "Good. You really had me worried. Where were you, anyway? Getting water shouldn't take that long." Once again, her tone was not that of curiosity, but of utter urgency.

Habitually, Hope's hand raised itself to the back of his neck and scratched nervously. Laughing anxiously, he choked out, "Well, um, Vanille showed up, and we talked a bit. We lost track of time, I guess." Feeling her demanding eyes on him, his gaze dropped to their feet, just a foot or so apart. No way would he tell her _what _they talked about. Hope found out how jealous Lightning could get when it comes to—as she claims—_her property. _This fact made Hope rethink how he saw her; even then, he loved her like he'd loved no other.

Many moments passed; neither said anything. Green eyes wouldn't meet with the intense blue of the other's. Hoots and small roars of wild creatures reached their ears, but still no reaction out of either of them.

Unable to take the silence, Lightning scoffed. "Is that all you did? Talk? Until sundown?" Anger seeped into her now loud voice. She was yelling, stoic mask thrown out the window.

Her accusations made Hope want to cry, and then yell at the woman shaking from overwhelming envy. He finally looked her straight in the eye. "You think," he started, more pissed off than ever before, "I'd throw away what we have for someone else? Vanille is just a friend, Light. Don't you trust me?" His words seemed to strike a cord deep within Lightning's heart, for she stiffened visibly. "I love you, Lightning, more than I love myself! You're everything I could ever want; everything and more. Can't you see that, Light?"

With a sigh of finality, Lightning gracefully laid down in her bedroll, facing away from Hope. Slipping the now cold fabric across her exposed skin, Lightning shivered as a chill travelled up her spine. Watching, Hope wanted to laugh; Lightning was in that 'phase,' as he liked to call it. Every little thing he did affected her in some way. Be it a girl that happened to laugh at one of his jokes, Hope often found himself in the doghouse. The pink haired soldier would give him the cold shoulder for a bit, but she was no match for his knowledge on what made her tick. The simplest of things, he found, would cause the woman to cave willingly. At that point, he couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

Pulling off his pants, Hope got ready to catch some sleep eye. On his way back to the campsite, Fang told him she was keeping watch. She also said something about 'watching him.' That glint in her eye—the one that warned everyone she was up to no good—was present in her ever-clear orbs. He didn't know what he did, but he intended to find out.

Yet another exaggerated sigh pulled the silver haired teen from his thoughts of tomorrow, effectively yanking him back to the current situation at hand. Strawberry locks splayed against dark cloth, a very curvy silhouette was painted in the soft moonlight dripping through the smallest of cracks of the tent. Jade eyes followed the figure hungrily; past the thin shoulders, down a spacious back, lingering on the sight of a pinched waist, to what Hope wanted the most. Luscious hips outlined in the dim light caused the suddenly hormonal teen to imagine some very _obscene _moments, followed by the pursuit of a supple bottom. Hope was blatantly and openly staring at the beautiful woman before him. He prided himself in knowing everything she had to offer was totally and unconditionally his. As long as he lives, he promised himself, he'd keep himself in check long enough for Lightning to stick around.

The quest of the matured frame on the ground was cut short as Lightning turned on her other side. She, too, began staring at Hope. Soft facial features framed by platinum strands softened once the two lovers made eye contact. In each other's presence, they found what could only be described as nirvana. Words were a liability in their eyes; silence took place when they were nearby. Gazing lovingly in each other's eyes, neither knew what time it was or how long they'd been sitting there, just _watching. _

Shuffling was heard from outside their small shelter. Hope scrambled to open and get in his own bedroll, not wanting to be caught staring at Lightning—who was practically his _mom. _Shortly after he was lying down, sans pants, the flap of their tent opened to reveal a grinning face. Lightly tanned skin was outlined by a halo of moonlight as she spoke, "Your turn to take watch, Lightning." Her mesmerizing black eyes looked at Hope, Lightning, and back. Her grin faded as she looked at Hope's suddenly guilty face. _Something smells fishy. Oh well, as long as I get some shut eye_, she thought. "Come on, Light, it doesn't take that long to get up!" Laughing heartily, Fang walked away from the two love birds, suspicions framing her thoughts.

Without wasting a second of her time, Lightning slipped off her night clothing, making sure Hope was still turned away from her. He didn't seem to notice her movements, since he stayed still, not moving a muscle. In a rush, the pink haired soldier pulled on her turtle neck, the rest of her normal clothing following. Still, the boy on the other side of the tent made no movements. This scared her—was he dead? Or was he just asleep? He was known to be a heavy sleeper, but usually he'd try to take a peek at Lightning while she got dressed. Scoffing at the thought, she decided not to check on him before going out for her night shift.

As she made her way across the fire circle from earlier that night, she saw Fang slip into her and Vanille's temporary sleeping place. Upon setting up camp, Fang insisted she and her younger counterpart share a tent. Vanille's face, Lightning noted, fell when she heard Hope already had a sleeping partner. But she agreed to sleep next to Fang for the time being, leaving Snow and Sazh to share a tent.

The first part of taking on a night watch was to check around the whole camp to make sure nothing snuck in during a shift switch. Lightning quietly but quickly walked around the three tents, glancing around her as she went. Nothing seemed unusual—except for the incessant giggling coming from Fang and Vanille's shelter. Curious, she stepped a bit closer, but not close enough for the two Oerba women to notice her presence. She heard more of Vanille's high-pitched giggles, followed by Fang's deep voice. Their accents made Lightning want to strangle herself; she continued to listen nonetheless.

"His face was bright red!" Vanille practically yelled. "He was so cute! I can't believe he fell for my bucket story though. I thought he was smarter than that." She sighed, defeated. "But he said no. 'I don't feel that way, Vanille,' he said. I wonder why not? He seems nice enough." Mockery was evident as she tried (and failed) to imitate Hope's voice.

Fang growled lowly. Lightning thought Vanille hadn't heard it, as she went on making those squeaky noises she makes when she's excited. Fang's exotic accent intertwined with her words as she said, "I think I know why." Pausing dramatically, Vanille whispered a soft 'what?' "There's something going on between Hope and Lightning. I saw them in their tent together."

Before her eyes, Lightning could just imagine Vanille clutching her stomach as she laughed uncontrollably. "Yeah right!" sarcasm in tact, Vanille exclaimed. "She's way too old for him, Fang. Hope would never want her!"

This angered Lightning. Vanille had no idea what Hope wanted relationship-wise, or about anything else for that matter. It wasn't impossible—Lightning and Hope _were_ together, _loving_ each other, even as she spoke words of disagreement. In fact, Hope had been the one to confess to Lightning, not the other way around. She'd show Vanille that Hope was her property, and hers only. Grinning mischievously, the woman walked away from the tent, continuing her watch shift.

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_**Day One; Hope**_

_Cheeks flushed red, breaths coming out in short pants; pink locks sticking to a pale forehead, eyes shut tightly in ecstasy. Fingers gripping the silk sheets below her, Lightning could no longer hold in the moans of pleasure. The soft mewls from the woman only milked the boy on. Further down he went, mouth leaving wet butterfly kisses in its wake. Down her smooth chest, across her toned abdomen, he finally reached an obstacle in the form of black lace. A wet spot was visible on the thin panties. His teeth grasped the elastic band and he pulled down, agonizingly slowly. A sigh of impatience flew out of her mouth, wishing the boy would just hurry up. _

_ "Please, Hope, more!" Lightning begged breathlessly. More pants spilled out of her mouth as her panties were flung haphazardly to the floor._

_ Wishes were grantedt as a tongue darted out to lick—_

Panting heavily, Hope jolted out of his bedroll. He groaned, disappointed that the dream didn't continue, but also in himself for having the dream in the first place. _Damn, that was the third time this week, _he thought. Even though he'd been having dreams similar to those ever since he and Lightning got together, he'd never told her. Hope didn't know _how _to tell her. In the beginning of their relationship, she'd said, very clearly, that they were not going to do anything intimate until Hope was of legal age. At that time, Hope pointed out that there was no law, since they no longer lived in the confines of Cocoon. She merely scoffed and said it again—_no sex_ until he turned eighteen. Her demanding tone made him to oblige to her command. Though now, he sorely wished he had made a better case for himself. Night after night, these dreams kept his sexual desires running, driving him up the wall. No matter how many times it happened, his hand just wouldn't cut it. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold back.

Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't realized that someone was now standing in his tent. "It's your shift," Lightning started. Blue eyes looking down on said boy, she saw the obvious tent in his pants, even through the layers of blankets. Blushing profusely, she turned away. _Oh my god, _she thought frantically, _what am I supposed to do?

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**Authoress' Note: OMG! I got like six reviews in the first 24 hours of this story being posted. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and subscribed! After seeing all those FanFic emails, I was anxious to start this chapter. It seems that any time a first chapter goes over well, I mess up the second chapter. I never want to ruin a story by adding a bad chapter, so I really hope this chapter met everyone's expectations! I'm also very sorry if I may write events so that they happen and blow over too quickly. I've been trying to improve my writing by expanding on each event. (I also edited this chapter, and the last chapter. I'm so proud of myself!) **

**Please please please review! I warmly welcome any and all constructive criticism. Reviews of "This is great," or, "Keep going," etc. are great, but I really want to know your opinion of how I can make my stories even better. I appreciate any and all feedback.**

**Ja ne! :3**


	3. I Want You Times Two

**Recap: **_Night after night, these dreams kept his sexual desires running, driving him up the wall. No matter how many times it happened, his hand just wouldn't cut it. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold back._

_Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't realized that someone was now standing in his tent. "It's your shift," Lightning started. Blue eyes looking down on said boy, she saw the obvious tent in his pants, even through the layers of blankets. Blushing profusely, she turned away. __**Oh my god**__, __she thought frantically, __**what am I supposed to do?

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_**Day Two; Normal**_

A devious smile on her face, the pink haired warrior brushed her fingers against his gloved ones. The chill that ran up his spine was noticeable to anyone, but it was the look of confusion that made Lightning frown, upset. She'd thought he'd like the contact, the attention. Once again, she allowed her hand to touch his for just a moment. Green eyes looked up at her, curiosity present in his steady gaze. Ignoring his innocence, she glanced at Vanille from the corner of her eye. Just as she thought, the orange-haired girl was staring wondrously at the two. Her eyes were glued to their hands, mere centimeters apart. Blushing slightly, she looked away, hands curled into tight fists.

Something poked her bare arm, once, twice, three times. Losing her cold demeanor, she looked at her younger counterpart. "What was that all about?" he asked, unsure. "You're not usually touchy-feely." The boy stepped a few feet away from her so he could study her reaction.

It was back. No emotions were visible in her face as she replaced her stoic mask. "I can't touch my own boyfriend?" Without realizing it, she'd raised her voice a bit too high. Sazh happened to walk by right then, overhearing their intended-to-be-private conversation. He didn't make a scene about it; he decided to talk to Hope about it later. The boy was sure to tell him something. _Poor boy, too trusting_, he thought as he went back to his task.

Jade eyes stared incredulously into the cerulean orbs of his lover. "What's gotten into you?" Hope's voice cracked from the overwhelming emotions he felt. Really, why had she said something like that around the others? Normally, she was so careful, so secretive when it came to public displays of affection, if they ever happened. As a passing thought, he wondered if she thought about telling everyone else about their predicament. He doubted it, but he was beginning to doubt who Lightning was at that point. Sure, he didn't mind her tender touch—but something was definitely up.

Scoffing, Lightning turned away from him, arms crossed stubbornly over her chest. She said nothing as she sauntered to their tent, hips swaying with extreme exaggeration.

Hiding behind a large boulder, Vanille sat on her haunches, head hidden in her folded arms. Tears burned at the rims of her emerald eyes, threatening to fall down her creamy white cheeks. A whimper escaped her lips as she took in the sight of the l'Cie ahead of her. After Lightning's little "display," the orange-haired girl ran from her spot in front of the fire circle and ended up in the shadows, the perfect hiding spot. As if that wasn't painful enough, Lightning called Hope her _boyfriend. _

_Fang was right, _she thought sadly. _Maybe I should just leave the two to their happy relationship. _

She raised a hand to her face and slapped hard. "Of course I can't give up!" she yelled encouragingly. Remembering where she was, she clamped a hand over her mouth. "I have to get Hope, no matter what." Her voice a whisper, she continued to convince herself that she was doing the right thing, what was best for her.

_You will be mine.

* * *

_

_**Day One; Hope**_

The night had been an awkward one, to say the least. After walking in on Hope's _incident, _Lightning curled up in her bedroll, falling asleep quickly. Hope took his normal night duty with Sazh at his side. Before he could start his watch, however, he had a _little problem _to deal with… down the way, by the river. Sazh merely shook his head and began complaining about "kids" when Hope explained his situation, making sure to leave out all the nitty-gritty details.

Refreshed, but still not satisfied, Hope checked the perimeters with Sazh at his side. The two talked casually—until a certain subject was brought up.

"Are you getting along alright? With Lightning, I mean," Sazh said, hands in his pockets as they walked in between the three tents. "Plus, it's gotta be tough growing up constantly running from monsters."

Hope nodded slowly, thinking over his words. "I'm fine, I guess. Lightning is… well, she's Light. She's treating me okay, considering I am just an obstacle, a roadblock." Frowning slightly, he picked up his pace a bit so that Sazh had to speed-walk to catch up.

Sazh "hm"ed quietly, mulling over Hope's short answer. It wasn't really what he was looking for. The older man wanted Hope to grow up with a real father figure, not someone who was always out because of work, no matter how charitable said work could have been. Hope deserved the best; he was a good kid with good character. Looking down at him, pity swimming in his irises, he went on, "No, really, how do you feel out here? It's rough, for me, for everyone—even Lightning seems to be slowing down a bit these days."

_Light… Slowing down? Is it because of me—because of us? _Although Lightning would be the first to deny Hope's having any part in her lacking as of late, he couldn't help but wonder. The woman did seem a bit on edge, he noticed. Was there something eating at her heart, too? Despite his every last effort to forget about that one thing for _one day, _he wondered if Lightning yearned for the same things he dreamt about, night after night. She was a woman, and women have needs, right? He wanted to be the one to fill them. The problem is Lightning's stubborn attitude toward Hope's young age.

Shaking his head to clear his cloudy thoughts, he remembered he was having a conversation with Sazh. "Oh, um, I'm fine. Really. No need to worry about me." Chuckling nervously, he raised a hand to the back of his neck.

Sazh placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and smiled stiffly. "Go on, go to bed. I'll take the watch from here."

"Really?" Sazh would willingly do that for him? Hope was skeptical; he should live up to his responsibilities accordingly. That was what was right. But at Sazh's warm grin, he realized people cared for him. A tingly, fuzzy feeling warmed his heart. He nodded and scurried off to his occupied tent.

Lightning was already tucked in her bedroll by the time Hope got back. The woman curled into herself, her hair splayed wildly against her makeshift pillow. A soft smile lit up the boy's face as his eyes scanned her form once again. Sighing, he silently made his way toward her. At her feet, he got on all fours so that he was hovering over her. So close, their bodies were. Their body heat was seeping into each other, melding them together as one.

Grumbling, the previously sleeping soldier rolled over. Her back was pressed firmly against the ground; Hope lowered himself closer to her panting form. "H-Hope? What are you doing?"

Leaning down so his lips brushed against the sensitive flesh of her skin, he huskily whispered, "I want you, Light."

* * *

_**Day Two; Vanille**_

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Fang asked. Dark eyes followed the pinkette's every move, gaze never wavering. Tanned hands rested on well-defined hips. Scoffing slightly, she turned away from the girl's silly antics. The Pulsian woman shook her head at the immaturity of the situation before walking away.

A muffled giggle made her glance behind her. With orangey-pink hair tied back in two low pigtails, Vanille stood clad in her normal, revealing clothing. Fang could almost feel herself beginning to drool. Her eyes dropped to the ground while Vanille flounced around a bit more, making noises of excitement. Things shuffled around behind her as she continued walking back to camp, back to the rest of the group.

Meanwhile, Vanille was busy setting up her latest plan to make her dreams of love come true. She meant what she said to Hope; she wasn't going to give up that easily. Since she found out that he and Lightning were a thing, she had to get him, even if it killed her. From the looks of it, that just might happen. She knew they were on a clock, their lives ticking away quickly. That's why she had to make this one goal of hers a reality—Hope would make her life's troubles worth it. This was no school-girl crush, she was sure. Every night she ached for his touch, whined for his affection. No, this was love. Legit, real love. And it burned fiery red in her heart like coal burned black smoke: How she yearned for something more.

Her plan was foolproof—or so she thought. First, she'd send out Lightning to kill an imaginary monster (she'd leave out the imaginary part, she thought after ten minute's observation), thus leaving Hope all alone in his tent. When Lightning arrived to the "monster," she'd step on a rope and fly upward. There, she would dangle from a by standing tree, yelling for help. Ah, there was the thing—Vanille would be there shortly to tape that big gob of hers shut. Either that, or she could cast a spell on the soldier to knock her out. Either way, Lightning wouldn't be able to protect her precious Hope while Vanille attempted to make her move on the unsuspecting boy. Just thinking about the possible (pleasurable) outcomes of this ordeal made Vanille's face split into a shit-eating grin.

While Hope is alone in his tent, she decided, she would creep in silently and cover his eyes and mouth, not allowing him to see or speak. She hadn't quite figured out how she was supposed to incapacitate the boy without his seeing her first—she'd just wing it and wish for the best. As for what, exactly, she was going to do after that, she wasn't completely sure. She knew, though, that it was going to include some kind of groping and perhaps a bit of kissing is some forbidden areas. Her grin grew into a devious smirk at the thought. Oh yes, she'd have a great time that night.

Giggling uncontrollably, Vanille double checked the set-up. All of the knots she'd tied were perfect, everything was spaced out immaculately. She smiled contentedly to herself before picking up her knap sack. Arms swinging exaggeratedly, the pink haired girl skipped back to the rest of the group.

_Just you wait, Hope. It's coming!

* * *

_

_**Day Two; Fang**_

Fang sighed and raised a hand to her face in exasperation. No way was Vanille actually going to go through with her blue prints. Couldn't the stupid girl just forget about that boy? Perhaps she could even move on to fall in love with someone else—someone tall, beautiful, and exotic; someone that's always been there for her, even through their crystal sleep. She shook her head to rid the thoughts; Vanille shouldn't fall in love with her. She deserved more, Fang knew. But she was still hanging by a thread of hope, praying every night to the Maker that Vanille would wake up one day and jump Fang—as perverted as that sounds.

"Fang! Fang!" A high-pitched voice called from a distance. Vanille was next to the Pulsian woman in a flash, breathing heavy. Panting, she choked out, "Everything is set up. So you'll go with the plan, right? I don't want Lightning to suspect anything." A sugary-sweet smile played at her lips once she saw the slightly pained expression pass over Fang's face. Before she could comment on it, the stoic mask was replaced. "Please? Lightning seems to trust you more than anyone else. She'd totally believe you!" A slight whine was apparent in her whine. Fang nodded affirmatively. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!" Vanille shouted as she pulled Fang into a tight embrace.

She watched as Vanille fled her presence. Slightly saddened, she was about to call out to the running girl, to tell her that she shouldn't do anything to upset someone's relationship. It was too late; hopefully Hope and Lightning would forgive her for going with the silly plan sure to ruin their blossoming realationship. Vanille would only end up hurt when she would realize how much Hope and Lightning care for each other. The two would die for each other; that much she was sure about. As funny as it may be to anyone else, Fang didn't find the situation hilarious in the least bit. Vanille was her second half, her missing puzzle piece. She'd finally found that one person she was supposed to be with forever—if the fal'Cie went through with their threats, they would spend eternity together, sleeping in giant crystal statues for decades, only to wake up and relive hell all over again.

* * *

_**Day Two; Vanille**_

"Lightning!" Vanille grabbed her bare arm roughly. Lightning growled lowly, trying to free herself from the girl's grasp. "There's a monster about half a mile away. It's really big and scary… I think it's an Adamontoise. Please go kill it!" Devastation was faked in her voice as she spoke. She hoped against all hope she'd believe her little charade. Surely Lightning had to know she could take down a creature like that by herself—if not, she could always get Fang to help her. Someone had to know that she wasn't—as she claimed—"all sunshine and rainbows."

Sighing, Lightning unsheathed her gunblade. Once she was a few yards ahead, Vanille began trailing quietly behind her, trying to keep in her snigger. The two reached the appointed destination. Scanning the area around her, Lightning turned around sharply, pink locks flying in every direction from the movement. Facing the girl that brought her all the way out here, she glared harshly. Suddenly, Vanille charged at her. Out of instinct, she stepped back and into the trap awaiting her footing.

Up she went. Vanille thought it was hysterical, the "toughest soldier around" dangling helplessly upside down. Bursts of laughter spewed out of her mouth as Lightning struggled to get out of her predicament, flailing aimlessly. Pale limbs swung around without a care in the world, the cloth of her long, sleeveless coat fell, covering her face completely. She was, no doubt, as red as a tomato from all the blood rushing to her face. Still laughing, Vanille clamped a hand over her mouth as she began her trek back to the campsite.

The lightweight material lifted easily as she pulled open the tent flap. There stood a shirtless Hope, practically glowing in his pre-pubescent years. Yet another smile lit up Vanille's face. Stepping into the small space, she made sure to stay absolutely silent. Through her heavy footsteps and loud breathing, however, Hope still hadn't noticed her. That was her chance. She grabbed Hope by the face, her hand planted firmly over his mouth to keep him from calling for help. In retaliation, he began biting at her hand. The calluses she'd built over the years prevented the full damage to be done, fortunately. Alternatively, he licked her salty palms, immediately regretting that decision. She began giggling and whispering things like "You're so sweet, but seduction doesn't work on me," and "Not in your dreams, little boy."

Hope struggled against her warm skin; he recognized her once he felt the fabric (or lack thereof) of her peculiar clothing. He grimaced in distaste from under the grasp of her hand and began writhing even more. Vanille just kept laughing, only pissing the silver haired teen off. With all the strength he could muster, he forced her to let go of him, flinging her arms away from his body. Before she could grab onto him again, he practically darted out of the tent. But he stopped at the entrance and stared at the pink-haired l'Cie. What the hell was she thinking?

Opening his mouth to speak, he felt a finger caress his lips, effectively shushing him. "I want you, Hope. So bad," Vanille said, pouting in what she thought to be a seductive manner. Playing innocent, she trailed a finger lazily down his bare chest. "Won't you give me what I want?" Her serious demeanor shattered as she chuckled happily at Hope's terrified expression.

"Wh-what are you t-talking about?" Hope sputtered. In his mind, he knew exactly what she wanted; therein lays the problem. No matter how much he wanted to explain to her why he couldn't do this (never mind that he didn't _want_ to do this), he couldn't tell her about Lightning. He could imagine the look the woman would give him. Her usual silent treatment would've lasted a lot longer than just a few minutes, more than an hour. Their relationship was fragile as it was. Neither of them needed to deal with the idea of everyone on Gran Pulse knowing.

Another giggle. "You know exactly what I mean, Hope." Another step toward his shaking form. "I know you're not as innocent as you seem, going after such an older woman like Lightning." Her face was mere centimeters from his now. Warm puffs of minty breath caused his face to flush unnaturally. "Kiss me, Hope."

* * *

**Authoress' Note: This was the longest I've ever spent on a single chapter. It took me DAYS to write certain parts of this. It usually only takes me two hours or so to finish an entire chapter. But no, I spent nearly an hour just thinking about how I should lay this chapter out. Oh, and I'd already had most of the chappie written before I received a review, saying how they wanted to see how Vanille would respond to Lightning's PDA with Hope or whatever, so then I had to write another part of this story. AND THEN I wrote one of the parts three times to see which one I liked best. I practically wrote this chapter two times. I didn't take a long time to edit this because most of it had already been done, so I hope y'all can excuse anything that may be wrong. **

**Regardless of how much I complain, I really did enjoy writing most of this chapter. Although Vanille is NOT my favorite character (I think she'd the worst character ever made, in anything, not just Final Fantasy), I had fun writing from her "POV." Some may think her to be a little OOC here, but I think that, deep down, this is how she really is. Pardon any OOCness, I try to keep them as in-character as possible. **

**I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter as much as I did!**

**Reviews, please! Constructive criticism welcome!**

**Ja ne! :3**


	4. Space Filled With Snow

**Authoress' Note: OH MY GOSH! I'm totally sorry for posting so late! I hardly got to write this week, as I have been sick. Plus, I have a research paper due soon and have been working on that recently. I thought this chapter turned out pretty well, but, eh, not the best. Things are quite wordy, and I almost feel as if there is far too much dialogue. Needless to say, I enjoyed writing this part of the story, although it didn't turn out (plot wise) the way I planned. **

**Warnings: There's nothing especially 'wrong' with this chapter, although there is some hinted SnowxHope, but not really… Someone read over this chappie and thought that was where I was going with it, but I swear this is NOT A YAOI! Also, this chapter mentions Lightning and Hope potentially having sex. Please do not feel offended by anything!**

**Reviews, please!

* * *

**

**Recap: (I'm going to skip the very end of the last chapter, since it was about Vanille and Hope, whereas this chappie isn't about them. Not there yet!) **_Lightning was already tucked in her bedroll by the time Hope got back. The woman curled into herself, her hair splayed wildly against her makeshift pillow. A soft smile lit up the boy's face as his eyes scanned her form once again. Sighing, he silently made his way toward her. At her feet, he got on all fours so that he was hovering over her. So close, their bodies were. Their body heat was seeping into each other, melding them together as one._

_Grumbling, the previously sleeping soldier rolled over. Her back was pressed firmly against the ground; Hope lowered himself closer to her panting form. "H-Hope? What are you doing?"_

_Leaning down so his lips brushed against the sensitive flesh of her skin, he huskily whispered, "I want you, Light."

* * *

_

_**Day One; Lightning**_

A hand connected with his shoulder, nearly flinging him across the tent. Landing on his ass, he groaned. Glancing at her, he saw that she was once again curled into a small ball, cowering within herself. Lightning said nothing as he crawled over her once again. This time, her lithe frame didn't stiffen. Instead, it shook violently. Sobs wracked her body with an incredible force. Alarmed, Hope pulled away from her and stared. He didn't know what to do in a situation as such—he was just a kid!

Loud sniffling kept him alert, on his toes. Stretching his neck to get a glimpse of her face, Hope began to wonder if Lightning was—_No, of course not. Lightning Farron simply does not cry. No way. _

His denial did not change the fact that, yes, she was crying. Salty tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. Face flushed, Lightning hid her head in her arms, the skin soon soaked by her own tears. No matter how much she wanted to hold in her outburst, the young boy's actions yanked her inner feelings out into broad daylight for all to see. And she hated him for that—he could make her feel like a useless child with a small touch of the hands. Those words he'd uttered quietly sent her over the edge, and not in the pleasurable way she'd imagined. She wanted nothing more than to be with Hope, but if the teenager only made her weak, made her think irrationally, maybe their relationship wasn't in the right place.

Choked through her harsh sobs were the words, "I think you should leave now."

Nodding in understanding, Hope began to get up from his uncomfortable spot on the hard ground. Pain shot through his spine as he moved the slightest bit. Against his will, he winced with every step. Cold blue eyes took in the whole scene, her body cringing from watching the obviously painful actions. Sighing, she motioned for the silver-haired boy to sit in her lap. Glee filled his jade orbs, his face growing alight with newfound joy. The woman of his dreams, the love of his life, didn't hate him, not one bit. Smiling at the dawn of the thought, he slowly walked to her, his steps short.

Like a child, he laid his head gently in her lap, grateful for the warmth he found there. Calloused hands stroked his silken locks with care apparent in each touch. Sparks flew at the contact, but the two ignored them. Snuggling into a better position, Hope looked up at Lightning. The woman was turned away from him, staring into space. Following her gaze, he saw nothing of interest.

"Hey, Light?" Jumping at the sudden noise, Lightning looked down at the boy with love and devotion clear in her eyes. "Do you… love me? Like you said you did?" A chuckle escaped her pale pink lips, a soft smile forming on her face. "I don't think it's funny. I'm being serious." To prove his point, Hope crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest and turned his head away from Lightning's intense and suddenly solemn gaze.

Sighing, thinking, she began petting his hair without much of a rhythm. "There have been two people before you to ask me that question." Although her answer was not what he wanted to hear, her choice of words piqued his interest. "Serah was the first. She was three, and as whiny as ever. I remember Mom took us to the park and bought us both ice creams," she started. She cut herself off with her own, quiet chuckle. Taking a deep, calming breath, she continued, "I got the last scoop of strawberry, her favorite. I, being the great older sister I was, gave her my cone in exchange for hers. Her face lit up unimaginably bright; I can never forget that look she gave me when she said, 'Thanks so much Sis!'" Face visibly darkening, she looked away from Hope as if she could look at the memories inscribed in her mind. "Later that night, though, I proved to be the worst sister to her. Out of the blue, she asked, 'Sissy, do you still love me? Anna told me girls only love boys, not other girls.' And… I just couldn't tell her I did love her—I _do _love her." Another tear escaped her eye. She raised an arm to wipe away the lone stream, but Hope beat her to it.

Rubbing the drop of salt water off her creamy white cheeks, he whispered, "I don't know what to say." In his mind, he remembered Lightning saying that there had been _two people _to ask her if she'd loved them, and she'd only told him of one account. "What about the other person?"

Lightning's grip on his hands tightened, nearly cutting off his circulation. "I don't think you want to know." Resting her hands behind her, she was about to stand, when Hope grabbed a hold of her hips.

Pulling her back to the earthen ground, he boldly stated, "I do want to know. I want to know everything about you, everything that's ever happened to you—because I love you, Light."

Exasperated, Lightning placed a hand on her face. Shaking away any bad thoughts, she began, "The Guardian Corp—I'd just joined." Not wanting Hope to notice, she choked back the knot forming in her throat. "Cid Raines was my advisor. He taught me everything I knew—from how to carry a gunblade to talking smack to PSICOM. There was a minor crush on my part, but he never showed any feelings toward me. Until," she sucked in a sharp breath as if she'd stepped on a rusty nail, "he asked me on a date. I said yes almost immediately. I was too naïve then to realize what a shit-eating bastard he was. Regardless, I fell for his every trick; I fell into his every trap. He caught me, hook, line, and sinker. I was caught in all of his lies. Serah told me over and over again that he wasn't the one for me, that I was just kidding myself. But then I realized he actually reciprocated my feelings ten fold." Lightning glanced at Hope from the corner of her eye, making sure he was fine with everything she told him. An upset Hope wouldn't make for a very happy woman—and no one wanted to deal with ex-Sergeant Farron when she wasn't happy. "He'd asked me out on another date. Of course, I said yes. We were dating publicly at that point, much to our commanding officer's dismay. On that date, while I was just 19, Cid got down on one knee, pulled out a velvet box, and popped the question. The ring he had was beautiful, I had to admit. But something in my gut told me to decline, and so I did. That's when he asked, 'Lightning Farron, do you love me like you once said?' I couldn't reply, not then, and not now."

Shoulders hunched, Hope took in the enormity of her story. "Oh," he muttered in defeat. _She really doesn't love me. _Disappointment filled his being, only to be washed away from the rush of anger surging through his veins. "So you've been using me this whole time? I love you, Lightning, and this is how you repay me?" He was yelling by the end of the last sentence. Unable to hold in such childish behavior, Hope stomped his foot and allowed some of his tears to break free from their confines.

"No! Of course not, how could you even think of something like that? I love you, Hope, more than anything—more than _Serah." _The finality in her commanding tone caused Hope to stop mid-temper tantrum. Green eyes stare longingly and confusedly into cerulean orbs of mystery. Kneeling down on both knees, Lightning grabbed Hope's shoulders, never once breaking eye contact. Love and passion threaded every fiber of her being together. Right then, she knew this was where she was meant to be, who she was meant to be with. "Promise to stay by my side forever?"

Hope was the one to look away first, to cave into the urge. Angry tears burned his eyes. In retaliation, he shut them tightly, squeezing the lids together so harshly they began to ache after a few moments. "If you really love me… Why do you keep pushing me away?"

Coldness of the night air returned to the once-warm patches on his upper arms as Lightning moved away from him. Staring at the ground, she coughed awkwardly, but said nothing. Her mouth opened several times, as if about to speak. But no words were spoken. The silence drove Hope insane. Not able to take it any longer, he, as calmly as he could, exited their shared tent.

_What happens next?

* * *

_

_**Day Two; Hope**_

Green eyes stared, wide eyed, filled with disbelief and worry. From behind her moving form, he called out, "This isn't like you." He began walking away from her, his steps slow and careful. As a second thought, he stopped abruptly. His voice not above a whisper, he said accusingly, "You pushed me away last night, didn't you? It seems like this is all a game to you." The words made Lightning stop dead in her tracks. Still she did not turn to face him. Despite her resistance, Hope followed her. He was going to get a response out of her whether she wanted to talk or not.

Their tent suddenly seemed far too small, too cramped for Lightning's taste. Scowling at the ground, she finally faced Hope. Her eyes did not meet his, for she was afraid of what she'd see. Hurt would obviously be apparent, as well as confusion. She didn't want to deal with it, not then—not when Vanille was no doubt trying to figure out how to take Hope away from her. With her attitude toward him as of late, Lightning wondered is Hope would willingly leave her for that annoying girl. "It's not a game to me, Hope. It is to Vanille," she spoke quietly, but still in a commanding tone. Raising her voice would only make the vulnerable boy in front of her angry, and that was the last thing she needed then.

Sputtering in exasperation, Hope barked out, "What has Vanille got to do with this? This is about me and you. Just last night, you rejected me and didn't even give me a reasonable explanation. You sob story didn't touch me as much as you wanted it to, Light. I just want to know _why. _I deserve at least that." His temper somewhat in check, he stepped a tad bit closer to Lightning.

Scoffing under her breath, Lightning's cold eyes met Hope's enraged orbs. All of the rage and disappointment swimming in his emerald irises made Lightning choke on the words forming in her throat, made her want to cry. Resisting the urge to allow the tears to freely fall, she said sharply, dangerously, "You don't deserve anything! You have to work for something if you want it from me. You don't get a free 'out of jail' card just because you're my boyfriend." A frown planted itself on Hope's round face. Realizing what she'd just said, Lightning continued in a softer tone, "I told you numerous times we'd wait until you were eighteen, Hope. I thought we came to an agreement. You never had any problems with it before. Is it because of Vanille? Has she been causing you to realize what you're missing?"

"What are you talking about?" Hope asked. Was Lightning that unsure of what they had together? "You're just being paranoid. Of course Vanille has nothing to do with this. Just you and me, Lightning. What has you so worked up?"

"Vanille is trying to take you away from me, Hope," she whispered so quietly Hope had to step closer to her just to understand her slurred words. As he came closer, she moved away.

Chuckling softly, Hope told her, "You're just being paranoid! Vanille and I are just friends, I swear. I told her that before. She understood." He placed a hand reassuringly on her bare shoulder, causing her to stiffen. Rigid as a board, she tried to shrug his hand off to no avail. "Is it so hard for us to be together?"

"Yes! It is! Are you happy now Hope? Every time I see you, even when I don't, I think about how wrong this whole thing is! I'm beginning to wonder if everything we're going through is even worth it." It felt good to get that tid-bit off her chest, she had to admit, even if it hurt the boy she was in love with.

Just as she'd thought, his face fell instantly, all trace of love or happiness gone. All emotion was replaced with a stoic mask. As if burned, he yanked his hand from her cool skin. "You're right. Maybe it's not worth it," he said in monotone, his eyes as dead as a zombie's.

"That's it?" She was shocked, to say the least. Hope had been the once to fight for a chance until he got it, and he was just going to let it all go? "Where is the Hope that I know, the one who fought for me? Where the hell is he? I want him back." Saying nothing, Hope began to walk away from her, still looking vacant, see-through. Lightning was beyond pissed at his lack of reaction. She was so pissed, she roughly yanked him closer to herself, spinning him around. Without thinking her actions through first, she raised a clenched fist, bringing it down on his face. A loud crack filled the air as her knuckles connected with his jaw, nearly shattering the bone. Instantly she regretted the punch; Hope could never forgive her for raising a hand against him. She knew him well enough to realize that.

When she was about to explain, or try to cover for her crude action, Hope walked out of the tent. Tears burned at the rims of his eyelids, threatening to spill over at any moment.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, clutching the fabric over her heart.

* * *

_**Day Two; Hope**_

Orange and yellow flames licked teasingly at the cool air, a cast iron skillet blocking its ascent. The aroma of slowly cooking fish filled the air, reminding Hope of how hungry he was. In objection, his stomach let out a loud, embarrassing growl. A deep chuckle broke the boy out of his stupor, his head whipping around to find Snow sitting on a lone log, watching his soon-to-be lunch fry on the pan. Waving somewhat awkwardly, he sat next to the burly man.

Silence reverberated through the crisp air. Finally, Snow broke it. "What's got you so troubled, kid?" Though he didn't look it, the blonde was a very observant person. This, combined with his normal cocky attitude, made for an upsetting individual. But he set aside all of his "hero" speeches, for Hope's sake. Everything that was happening was surely tough on the boy; he was just a kid, for crying out loud! No one expected him to be as strong through it all, except for Lightning.

Shrugging his shoulders, Hope said nothing for a while. After thinking about what he could and couldn't tell Snow, he realized he could trust the man. He had led Hope to safety on multiple occasions, even if he had been the cause of his mother's death. Sighing deeply, he tentatively asked, "Can I tell you something? Something important… You might think I'm gross after, though…" Voice trailing off, swept away in the slight breeze, he left Snow to think over what he'd said. The man nodded without hesitation; Hope needed a father figure, and he'd be damned if Sazh was going to take that spot. "Lightning and I are more than just friends." He said these words one by one, each combination of letters rolling awkwardly off his tongue. Only around Lightning had he said anything close to 'more than just friends.' Saying it aloud frightened Hope a little bit. The reality of his situation seized his immature mind, grasping it suddenly and unexpectedly.

At a loss for words, Snow nearly choked on the water he'd just swallowed. Carefully considering what he'd tell the boy next, he tried to take in the enormity of everything that was morally and completely wrong about their relationship—or whatever the two had together. "You mean you guys are together, as in boyfriend and girlfriend?" He needed reassurance, something to tell him he'd heard Hope wrongly. Didn't Lightning know Hope was far too young for her? Hope stayed silent, giving Snow all the answer he needed. "Whose idea was it?" He needn't speculate; any accusations he made were to be based on cold, hard facts from someone who was involved.

With his head buried in his crossed arms, Hope mumbled, "Mine." Snow opened his mouth to speak—to scold the teenager—but the silver haired teen cut him off. "I started having feelings for her almost as soon as I met her. But nothing was serious—not until we got to the Vile Peaks. She's just so strong, and beautiful, too. And she cares about me, most importantly. She took me in when no one wanted me."

Taking in a sharp breath, Snow began, "Don't say no one wanted you. Vanille and Sazh would have been more than happy for you to have stayed with them, I'm sure." Running a hand through his hair, he remembered that wasn't the problem; his relationship with Lightning was. "But isn't Lightning a bit… old for you? She's seven years older than you, right? So why not date someone you own age, ya know? Younger chicks probably have a lot more in common with you than a grown wo—"

"Isn't Serah younger than you?" Hope asked defensively. Snow was preaching to the choir, and he wouldn't stand for that kind of hypocrisy.

"That's different. Besides, we aren't talking about Serah and me. We're talking about you and Lightning. You do realize what you guys are doing is extremely illegal?" Snow's voice began to rise with every sentence, his anger getting the better of him. "She could be arrested! Your father could even lose custody of you, Hope. The severity of the situation is too great. Have you really thought this through?"

_Of course I have! _he wanted to shout at the stupid man. Instead, he breathed deep, calming breaths. Making sure his voice wasn't shaky, he replied with the upmost confidence, "Yes, every night I think about it. I know all the consequences. But who is there to dish them out? There is no law here on Gran Pulse; only the nature and habits of free, wild creatures." Chewing thoughtfully on his bottom lip, he added, "Lightning and I love each other, and that's more than enough reason to continue what we're doing."

Snow couldn't help but smile as Hope defended his and Lightning's relations. If the boy was serious about it and Lightning responded to him, he didn't see a problem in it. But he was curious. "Have you…?" Not comfortable talking about this with Hope, he allowed the teen to fill in the banks.

Realization smacked Hope in the face. Red sprinkled his cheeks as he thought about what Snow was getting at. There was no denying he'd thought about it on multiple occasions—he even tried to do something about it. _Maybe Snow would understand, though_, he reasoned. "No, we haven't even come close. But I have thought about it. A couple times, actually." Scratching the back of his neck nervously, he refused to make eye contact with the blonde man next to him. Blue eyes were scanning his form, he knew, but he made no move or reaction to the stare-down. Laughing hollowly, he explained, "Lightning said we have to wait until I'm eighteen… But I'm beginning to wonder if we'll last that long."

Now he was not expecting _that_ to come out of Hope's mouth, especially after he took the time and effort to convince Snow that their relationship was, well, perfectly fine. Not needing to ask why, Hope went on. "Lightning's been acting really weird lately. Like today, she wanted to hold my hand while we were gathering wood. She never wants to show any form of PDA, since she wants to keep us a secret. And Sazh told me last night that he's noticed her slowing down or something like that. Last night, in our tent…

I got back from my watch shift and Lightning was almost asleep. I kinda, well, I pretty much asked her to have sex with me. I just couldn't take the tension any more, I guess. She just pushed me away, and told me these weird stories. But she asked me to 'stay with her forever,' or something like that. This morning, she punched me in the face for bringing the subject up. Her mood swings are giving me whiplash, Snow. I don't know if I can take it any longer." He paused in his story long enough to gaze into Snow's thoughtful icy blue orbs, searching, searching for acceptance. "What do I do?"

* * *

_**Day Two; Lightning**_

_What have I done? _Lightning couldn't stand the thought of what Hope was going through because of her. Horrible things were said because of her; both on her part, and on Hope's. Of course, she couldn't and didn't blame herself for her odd mood swings. In her mind, Vanille was the cause of it all. Vanille, with her stupid laugh and her girly pig tails, was out to get the one person she could rely on, which caused the woman to go momentarily insane. Her insecurities were all because of Vanille and the threats the annoying girl posed. Somewhere, deep down, she knew she was just being paranoid. The rational side of her brain was yelling at her to just calm down and work things out with Hope; their relationship had just begun, and already it was crumbling. But her irrational, emotional side of her conscience thought she was doing what she had to do to protect her most precious person.

Needing a distraction to clear her murky mind, she set out to finish collecting fire wood, since she and Hope got sidetracked in said task. As she exited her tent, she saw Hope talking to Snow from her peripheral vision. She ignored the two, not wanting to be nosy, despite her heart yearning to hear what they were discussing. Whatever it was, it looked pretty serious, as Snow had a solemn look plastered to his face. Chuckling to herself, she decided the man looked much better with his normal goofy smile in place than a serious offset.

Shaking her head to rid herself of such thoughts, she focused on the soft crunching of the emerald grass beneath her feet. Her eyes were lowered to the ground, taking in her boot-clad feet as she got further and further away from the others in the group. With her gaze on the ground, she didn't notice Vanille coming up to her until the girl was mere inches in front of her. She was yelling about some scary looking monster she wanted Lightning to get rid of. Sighing in exasperation, Lightning's eyes followed Vanille's finger as it pointed in a general direction. Without voicing her opinion, she wondered why the girl asked _her _to take care of the monster. She knew Vanille was more likely to ask Fang for such a favor. Thinking over it for a second, she wondered why Vanille was even with them if she couldn't take down a stupid animal by herself.

_This is the perfect situation to get my mind of things, _she thought. _Take it or leave it, Farron. _Deciding against her better judgment, which was shooting off warning bells and alarms, she trudged off in the appointed direction.

Farther and farther the two went, and still no sign of any kind of harmful creature. Beautiful, wild flowers framed the path they were taking, along with odd looking mushrooms. The occasional bug would crawl across the dirt, but nothing dangerous popped out in Lightning's eye. She stopped, frustrated with where things were going. Taking a look around, she noticed that they were in yet another open meadow, miles of grass spread out like a soft, green blanket. With her hands on her hips, she turned to look at Vanille in annoyance.

Suddenly, the girl lunged at Lightning. About to draw her gunblade, she stepped back out of instinct. Something wrapped around her ankle and pulled her upward.

_Trapped.

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_

**Authoress' Note: LONG CHAPPIE! For me, at least… which is indeed quite sad. Also, I'm still looking for a beta reader! If anyone is willing to beta read future chapters in this story (or any of my stories), or knows anyone who would want to, please PM me, email me, leave a review—something! I'm desperate!**

**In case any of you didn't get when this chapter took place, I'm going to explain. In the last chapter, Vanille took Lightning away, correct? This happened AFTER Hope and Lightning had the argument in this chapter. Also in the last chapter, Vanille took Hope to the side and, like, molested him, right? That happened after the events with Snow. I hope nobody has been confused by this story. If you haven't noticed, there are pretty much four different sides to this story. It's like having four different points of view, but it's all in third person. I sincerely hope none of you are confused by anything that has happened in this chapter, or previous chapters for that matter. **

**So what did you think? Please review and tell me! Criticism always welcome, of course!**

**Ja ne! :3**


	5. He Does, She Doesn't

**Authoress' Note: I'm so sorry I didn't post last week like I should've, but I had some things to take care of—like homework (damn research papers). Regardless, I hope y'all like this chappie! It's sort of a response to some of the reviews I've received, but I'd kinda had it planned in this chapter anyway. **

**Some people have brought it to my attention—where's the FangxVanille I promised? Where is the "love square" in it all? Well, here is your answer! I didn't want to jump straight into two new, blossoming relationships from the get-go. I figured this way, I could extend some things and make the story a little less amateur-esque. It would be too coincidental to have both in the very beginning, ya know? **

…**which brings me to… WARNING: THERE IS SLIGHT/HINTED YURI IN THIS CHAPTER! Be prepared. No, I have not marked which spot is the one containing the "adult content," as I think that subtracts from the overall meaning of the story. So please do not feel offended by anything in this story!**

**Also! (I know, this is a really long author's note, terribly sorry!) THIS IS AN IMPORTANT EDIT MADE TO ALL CHAPTERS! As the times/days and points of view have become confusing, I have labeled each one as day one, two, etc, and then put whose POV it's supposed to be. Sorry for all the confusion!**

**I'd like to thank my new beta, Jabbertalky. I've never worked with a beta before, so having a beta is like, amazing for me. Also, a huge thankies to all who have reviewed. This story now has 19 reviews, which is the most I've ever gotten! Y'all are awesome!

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_**Day Two; Hope (The flashbacks are from earlier that day)**_

_Breathing deeply, Hope grasped the hem of his black t-shirt, ready to change for the long journey ahead of them. Fang and Sazh agreed the team had stayed far too long in one place, so they thought it wise to get a move on it. While walking, Hope wanted to feel fresh, rejuvenated; he hadn't a chance to wash any of his worn clothing, so he was stuck with the cleanest set available. Thinking about how he'd be the last one to catch up to the group, the slowest of them all, he yanked the black material over his head, his silver locks falling into abnormal angles. Just as he was about to reach for his new shirt, a hand covered his mouth, effectively silencing him._

_ At first, he was frightened—an intruder? How had they gotten past the rest of the group. But then, he realized, he should be angry at himself for not noticing another presence in the tent. Mentally, he slapped himself, scolding the sensory neurons for their failure. All the while, he was hyperaware of the body pressed against him, nearly smothering him. The hand on his mouth nearly made him suffocate. In retaliation, he began licking and biting at her hand, the bitter, salty taste of her flesh nearly making him gag. Out of instinct, he began letting loose some very embarrassing noises coming out much more erotic that he'd planned. Whoever was behind him obviously took his grunts the wrong way, as his captor said, "Not in your dreams," with what she obviously thought to be a seductive tone. Instantly he recognized the girlish voice to be that of Vanille._

_**What the hell does she think she's doing?**__ His brain was fried with what was going on. To say he was freaking out was a complete understatement. Hope thought back to something Snow said earlier that day:_

_**"…and if Light catches you with anyone other than her, there's sure to be trouble. I'm not sure it's worth it, kid."**_

_ Hope groaned once again, not caring if Vanille heard at that point. __**It's not like Lightning really cares about me**__. This sudden thought from the 'dark side' of his conscience was like a slap in the face for Hope. __**Of course she cares, you idiot!**_

_ Finally, he was able to break free of Vanille's surprisingly strong grasp, panting harshly. A million thoughts, accusations, were whirling in his teenage mind, nearly driving him insane. His mouth opened to speak, but no sound could escape. Two soft fingers were planted firmly, yet gently over his lips, caressing them. He wanted to sigh at the soft touch. Melting into the palm of her hand, Hope didn't take notice of what Vanille wanted until she stepped a little too close for comfort. _

_ Bending over far enough so he could feel the warm puffs of her minty breath, goose flesh appearing on his skin, Vanille discretely pushed her breasts closer together under her barely-there top. Hope desperately tried to avert his eyes from the sight, but he was a healthy teenage boy with raging teenage hormones, after all. A smirk graced the girl's face as she took in Hope's brightly flushed cheeks. "I want you, so bad," she whispered. _

_ Seeing her like this, not just hearing her, made him realize how seductive she really was, how, dare he say it, hot she was. __**What the hell am I thinking? She's trying to seduce me!**__ "W-what are you talking about?" Trying, and failing miserably, to mask his stutter, Hope moved his foot back in the hope of escaping Vanille's scent, her presence. For every step he took back, she took two steps forward. Hope had to bite his tongue to keep a curse from escaping. _

_ Orangey-pink locks tickled his creamy cheeks, causing the red sprinkled across his face to deepen a shade. Vanille's grin only grew wider, as if it were there permanently. "You know exactly what I mean." As she said this, she placed a hand on his bare chest, rubbing it up and down agonizingly slowly. Dully, she noticed his breath hitch momentarily in his throat. The tips of his ears were burning scarlet. She leaned in even closer, if that was possible, and said, her voice lower than the whisper of the wind, "Kiss me, Hope." _

_**Don't think, just do…**_

Touching his lips, he could clearly remember the feel of Vanille's chapped mouth against his own. The way she moved to quickly, aggressively, was something Hope was not used to, even with Lightning and her commanding personality. The kiss was so different than those he'd shared with the ex-soldier—and not in the good way, either. Shivering at the freshly painted memory, his jade green eyes stared longingly at the swaying hips of the woman in front of him, her head held high out of annoyance.

Sighing, he thought back to that one little thing he did—the one thing that possibly ruined his relationship. There was no way Lightning would let him get away with something so extreme. After he kissed Vanille, he remembered Light saying something about trying to get Hope, and realized she was right. Of course, this only added to his guilt and self-anger. There wasn't much time to sit down and talk through his mistake, either; they'd just begun travelling once again. Every one of them had to be on their toes if they wanted to survive. Hope knew this, he really did, but he still wished someone would get injured or something, just so he might be able to talk to Lightning. He'd waited too long for something so perfect, only to have it shatter into a million pieces because of a momentary lapse of judgment.

But that's all it was—a slight, short lapse of judgment. It's not like he intended to do anything with Vanille, not even share a chaste kiss. What he did wasn't all that bad. Friends in other places kissed as a greeting, family kissed all the time! A kiss meant nothing, right? Especially that one, the one that was sure to haunt him for his entire lifetime. He and Lightning shared hundreds, maybe even thousands, of kisses that were much better and more meaningful than that. With them, nothing was really spur-of-the-moment. Everything had a reason, an explanation, in their relationship. His and Vanille's little… thing was just Hope's hormones going out of whack. He couldn't control what his body did. That was up to his brain. Besides, he was just a kid. Teenagers were supposed to do stuff like that—at least, that's what he had been told for most of his life.

Regardless of his seemingly flawless logic, Lightning wasn't about to buy anything he had to say, be it an excuse or the cold, hard truth.

_Pale skin, so soft, just like hers; hair the shade of orange-tinted pink, so much like hers; command in her voice—it was all the same to Hope in that moment. Not only could he not look into her bright green eyes, but he couldn't look down a single centimeter. His gaze was fixated on her round cheek, sprinkled pink from a light blush, as she leant in closer to him, and closer still. Slowly, he willed his eyes to move to her tantalizing lips puckered, ready for the kiss that was sure to come. His hesitation was the only sign Vanille needed as she gently cupped his cheek, caressing it much like a mother would to her child. But this touch, it was too intimate, and Hope knew it—he had a girlfriend. As he thought this, he began doubting whether Lightning was really his girlfriend anymore. She was far too distant lately for anything to be solid, sure. _

_ Pushing away all thoughts of the woman who supposedly loved him more than her own sister, Hope lifted his head minutely; just enough so their lips might touch. The simple brush of lips was so warm, yet there was no spark. It was everything Vanille wished it wasn't. Brief, barely there. Almost as if it was a figment of her imagination. Their proximity wasn't enough for her—she craved more, more of Hope. The silver-haired boy opened his mouth to speak, but before any sound could escape, Vanille pressed her body against his, grinding into his crotch and crashed her mouth upon his. Their lips touched so harshly, both of their mouths parted, that their teeth clanked together, threatening to chip. The cold hand on Hope's face moved to the back of his neck, causing the hairs there to stand on end as he and Vanille's faces were pushed even closer together. _

_ A gasp startled the two bodies, so close they were nearly one being. Like deer caught in the headlights, the l'Cie's eyes were wide with shock and what seemed to be fear. Hope pulled back from Vanille, yanking his hands away from their previous position on her shapely hips. Icy blue orbs stared incredulously at them, hurt apparent in the confused irises. The woman said nothing as she looked at her boyfriend—was he even that close to her any more?—and let a lone tear slip past her lower lashes, crawling down the cheeks Hope had imagined mere moments before she interrupted. _

_ "Light—" Hope started. _

_ But she'd already escaped their presence. _

_**Gone… **_

Groaning uncomfortably, Hope placed a hand on his face. He messed up, badly, and he damn well knew it, too. He finally got what he wanted—a girl, no, woman, to call his own—and he let her slip through his fingers like water. Before then, he had only one regret; letting his mother die while in the hands of a stranger. After he kissed Vanille, he had another thing to twist his dreams into nightmares. Lightning wouldn't ever forgive him, just like Snow told him. But he still cheated, sinned against Lightning, and would forever have that weight on his back.

Throwing his shoulders back in a confident posture, Hope picked up his pace, pushing past a confused Vanille and an angry Fang, weaving between Snow and Sazh. He reached the front of the pack, only a few feet behind Lightning. Without really thinking it through, he reached a hand out to touch her. Once his hand landed on her forearm, she pulled away as if burned.

"Please, just hear me out," he begged pathetically. Lightning continued to ignore him, her pace only increasing as he came closer to her. Sighing, he tried a different tactic. Aggressively, he barked out, "You can't even listen to me for two seconds. I know I messed up, a lot, but you're being childish. You're just a coward, Farron." Deep in his mind, he knew he was crossing dangerous territory, but if this worked for him before, it should work again, right? (1)

Her steps faltered slightly as he said those words. Despite her usual uncaring attitude toward mockery, the words stung her heart, made her chest tighten painfully. Ignoring it, she seethed. "Now is not the time, Hope."

Instantly, his face fell. She wasn't even willing to talk about it? This was the _perfect_ time to discuss it. There weren't any monsters in sight, and they had enough space to themselves that no one else would hear them as long as they kept their voices relatively low.

"You are," Hope whispered. "You really are a coward."

* * *

_**Day Two; Lightning**_

Breathing deeply, Lightning exited her and Hope's tent, not wanting to deal with the newest of dilemmas. All of them needed to focus on the journey ahead. Each and every one of them needed to get back into fighting mode. Out on Gran Pulse, no one knew what kind of fatal situation they might find themselves in. Fang and Vanille were the only two with any clue of the place, but even then, everything was different than it was when they lived on the plains.

_Vanille…_

Her thoughts turned sour just by thinking the name—the name of the girl that took away the one precious thing she had left in her life. Did Vanille even realize that Hope loved Lightning, not her? Or was she stuck in a fantasy world that she got whatever she wanted? But it wasn't just Vanille's fault, Lightning remembered. It takes two to tango, after all. Hope had just as much a part of it as Vanille; she should be equally mad at them. Regardless of the rationality of the situation, Lightning couldn't find it within herself to be that angry at Hope. Yes, she was pissed, but most of that was directed toward Vanille.

Seeing the two pressed together like that—it was too much for Lightning. After Hope had begged her, literally, to take him as her boyfriend, he turns around and does this to her? The boy had some nerve giving her mixed signals like that.

It hit her like a brick wall; he hadn't answered her when she asked him to stay by her side. Hell, she practically asked him to marry her. She knew it was risky at the time, that he'd probably say no, but he hadn't said anything at all! He had the audacity to ask her if she loved him, if she thought their relationship was a game. Thinking back, she should've answered yes. Maybe then she wouldn't have had to deal with his cheating on her.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she lifted her head confidently and made her way to the fire circle, the fire still burning brightly with flames licking the sky. The streaks of red and orange bounced up and down, trying to break free of their confinement, just like the anger welling inside of Lightning. Blood boiling, she threw a bucket of water over the burning logs, effectively extinguishing the metaphor of her anger.

"What's got you in a tizzy?" Fang asked, her exotic twang lacing with her words. Lightning scoffed, but said nothing. "I said, what's got you all upset? You're usually so big and bad, Lightning Farron. Did something get in your hair?" (2) she teased relentlessly.

Even though Lightning knew she was joking, she was too fed up to deal with Fang's mocking manner. Lashing out, she raised a fist to Fang's face, but the Oerba woman was too quick in her dodging. Laughing, Fang continued to move just out of Lightning's wrath. "Why are you laughing?" Lightning asked, calming down slightly.

"I'll answer your question when you answer mine," Fang retorted, her tone light. At Lightning's hesitance to answer, Fang motioned the woman to her vacant tent. "Come, we'll talk there."

Lightning found herself tentatively following Fang's form. She didn't trust the woman; nor was she fond of the l'Cie. But in this case, she needed some way to get Vanille away from Hope. She figured, without thinking it through, Fang could help her separate the two. Grinning devilishly, she ducked under the open tent flap and sat on the ground, looking at Fang.

Eyeing her skeptically, Fang said, "I don't like that look. It can only mean trouble."

At this, Lightning's smirk only grew wider. "I need your help."

Pearly whites were revealed as Fang grinned just as widely as Lightning. "And for what might tough as nails Lightning Farron need with my help?"

Eyes glowering, Lightning explained her predicament—about everything that has been going on between her and Hope, about how she was so lost, about how she felt useless. Against her better judgment, she told Fang, "I don't want to lose him, especially not to her."

"And just what's so wrong with Vanille being happy with Hope?" Fang asked icily, protectively. To Lightning, she sounded utterly defensive. The ex-soldier eyed her knowingly. Trying to cover herself, "We don't need any distractions while we're traveling. If Vanille is sad, then she might not fight as well as usual."

Chuckling, Lightning scooted closer to Fang as the woman curled up, her arms wrapping around her knees like a child. "You love Vanille, don't you?" Lightning asked, understanding swimming in her cerulean eyes.

"No!" Fang yelled a little bit too quickly. Quieter this time, she whispered, "Yes."

_Soft crying woke a twelve year-old Fang from her dreamless sleep. Sighing, she rolled over and closed her dark eyes again, trying to fall into the tendrils of sleep. But the quiet sobs continued from the bunk above her. Angrily, she balled her hands into tight fists. She stared at the crossed wooden planks used as support for the thin cot on the top bunk of the bed. Fang recalled people telling her to watch out for her new bunk mate; everyone else had already had this poor girl as their own. Fang was told by several people that she was loud, obnoxious, and often talked in her sleep. None of them mentioned that she cried or tossed and turned while lying down. If they had, Fang didn't know what she would've done. Determined, she decided she would talk to their village's leader and ask that her new bunk mate be moved yet again. This girl, so called "Vanille," was starting to get on her nerves. _

_ "Mom…" the girl cried out in a high pitched whine. _

_ Grunting, Fang stood up from her laying position, planting her uncovered feet on the hard, cold ground. Resting her hands on her hips, she allowed her gaze to trail upward, only to meet the object of her frustration. _

_ Drops of cold sweat beaded on her unusually pale forehead, her mouth parted in a silent cry. The girls' hands were balled up so tightly Fang could see the white of her knuckles beneath her skin. Vanille had retired her pelt for the night, leaving her in not much clothing, but the pieces of fabric that were there stuck to her like a second skin. Fang couldn't help but let her eyes linger on the perky nipples clearly visible through the soaked pink cloth on her chest. Although she hadn't completely developed yet, Vanille had much more than other girls in their village. Fang continued to openly admire the ten year-old's body, but stopped when she took in the flat washboard stomach framed by deliciously curvy hips. Down, down she went, her awe momentarily blocked by the short skirt clinging loosely to the girl's hip bones. Pale legs were crossed at the ankles, Fang noted dully. They were long, and terribly thin. _

_ "No, please, don't go!" Vanille nearly shouted, her eyes still squeezed shut. This made Fang stop staring, but also made her realize she hadn't known the color of the girl's eyes. _

_ Fang shook her head to clear her murky thoughts. __**You shouldn't think such things, you're too young—she's too young. **_

_ But it was too late. Rationality thrown out the window, Fang had fallen for the girl whose name rhymed with Fanille. _

She didn't know why she was telling _Lightning_ of all people about her feelings toward her companion. After centuries of living—mostly being crystallized, but still, it's been a long time—she hadn't told a single soul. Even she didn't want to believe it for years after she'd known Vanille, but she couldn't deny it. Although, she'd learned to push aside these emotions, these urges, if it meant surviving. Seeing her so passionate about getting a boy brought everything back out in the open, much to her digress. Not only was the best fighter, other than herself, distracted, but Hope, Vanille, and even Fang had other things on their minds. These things, this feeling of love and jealousy, passion and regret, subtracted from their fighting skills, thus adding to the chances of the group not surviving. Pushing things to the back burner couldn't help this time. It only made things worse, made them grow into demons of the mind and soul until they eventually took every fiber of a person's being over.

They were stuck—stuck in a love square.

* * *

_**Day Two; Fang**_

Stretching her arms over her head, Fang yawned loudly. Lightning scoffed from the front of the group. "We stay here for the night," Lightning said with absolute finality. Hands on her hips, she began setting up her tent. Glancing ahead of her, she saw Hope staring at her intently. Knowing better than to start something, she added, "Fang and I stay in one tent, Hope and Snow in another, and Sazh and Vanille in the last one. Any problems?" No way did she want to face Hope, not after he blatantly cheated on her with the very person she'd warned him about. Besides, he and Snow worked out their issues with each other, so everyone should have been happy.

Saddened, Vanille interjected, "I want to sleep with Fang!" She didn't think about her suggestive wording before she spoke. Fang instantly noticed what she said and how she said it, causing her face to turn slightly red beneath the fine, tan skin of her cheeks. Yes, Fang wanted to sleep with Vanille, but not in the way the girl meant it.

Sighing deeply, Lightning placed a hand on her forehead, eyes closed tightly out of frustration. Her fingers gripped tightly to the fabric over her shapely hips, the knuckles turning white. This was the last thing any of them needed. They were stuck out in the wild with no knowledge of who—or what—could be lurking about. "It doesn't matter who we sleep with. Now set up your tents," she barked harshly.

Fang stared incredulously at Lightning. _Who the hell made her the boss of us? _"Why are we changing our previous arrangements? I thought we were getting along quite well." Dangerous territory was being crossed when she said this. Fang was almost challenging Lightning, daring her to say something to give herself away. No doubt, everyone in the group knew about Hope and Lightning by now, but for Lightning to admit it… That's something everyone would like to see. Dark eyes met with Lightning's pale blue, a staring competition taking place before them.

Holding up his hands to try and break them apart, chance anything were to happen, Snow spoke, "Now, now, ladies, we can settle this without violence." Lightning mumbled something under her breath. Snow, however, ignored her. "All in favor of keeping last night's sleeping arrangements say 'I.'" Everyone but Lightning joined in a chorus of 'I's. "That settles it; Lightning and Hope, Fang and Vanille, Sazh and I." Grinning widely, Snow turned away from the group and began setting up his tent, a few yards away from the l'Cie.

_It's now or never. _

"Can I talk to you, Vanille?" Fang asked, turning to her companion, only to see the fallen face of a disappointed girl. Pink lips turned downward and her eyes watered slightly as Vanille looked up to Fang. Pushing away her sorrows, Vanille smiled widely, nodding her head with much enthusiasm. The older of the Oerba women also smiled in response to the pinkette's childish actions. Motioning with her hand for Vanille to follow, Fang made a beeline for a nearby tree. Its trunk was wide and rough, knots climbing up the sides like a thick vine. The foliage cast a large shadow on a patch of emerald green grass, pink and yellow flowers sprinkled about. All in all, it was great cover for what she was about to do.

Bending her knees and tilting her head innocently to the side, Vanille placed her hands on her lower thighs and showed her pearly whites in a blinding smile. "What did you want to talk about, Fang?" With every word, every movement, her curly pigtails would bounce, orangey pink hair flying through the cool air.

Taking this time to admire her crush, Fang hadn't realized how much time passed. The flat stomach, the slight curves of her waist—it drove her mad. With her wide, green eyes staring at her, she snapped. Fingers gripping Vanille's arm tightly, Fang pushed herself upon the unsuspecting girl, the two crashing into the hard bark of the tree. Wood poked into Vanille's bare skin, but having a body so close to her made her forget about her surroundings. Before she knew it, Fang pushed her plump lips against her own, little pressure being applied. Just as soon as it began, Fang pulled away.

At a loss for words, Vanille studied her feet intently. _Oh god, what have I done? _Afraid she'd ruined the one good thing she'd found in her lonely life, Fang began walking away from the girl of her dreams, back to the camp for the night.

Years—decades—of being with Vanille had finally come to a close. She messed everything up, didn't explain what she really felt. And because of the overwhelming lust, need, she felt to kiss the girl, just once, she couldn't live with herself any longer. In her mind, Fang knew Vanille still liked Hope, as much as he didn't reciprocate her feelings. Regardless of her knowing this, she still went for it, took a bite of the forbidden fruit. It only backfired. Somehow, she'd hoped Vanille would have realized her feelings if a kiss could just urge on the emotions, but she'd been wrong. Vanille thought of her merely as a sister, a friend, nothing more. Heartbroken, Fang was.

"Fang, wait!" Vanille called. Lunging forward, she grabbed onto the corner of Fang's sapphire blue sari and pulled, tripping over her own feet. Weight settled on top of her, knocking the breath out of her lungs. Allowing her gaze to travel downward, she saw Fang laying on her, arms on either side of her shoulders, legs straddling hers. Her sari having been yanked off, she only had a small piece of black fabric covering her chest and short shorts covering her bottom half. A blush sprinkled both of their faces as they took in the enormity of their situation. Their eyes met, dark and light, day and night.

"I love you, Vanille," Fang whispered breathlessly.

Instantly, Vanille's face fell. Mulling over what to say next, she stared just past Fang's bare shoulder. "I-I don't love you… Fang."

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**Authoress' Note: (1) For those of you who don't remember, Hope called Lightning a coward while he was confessing his feelings for her. **

**(2) This is a reference to real-life. I have a friend who breaks down in tears when someone tells her there's something in her hair XD**

**The ending part was kind of… last minute. I was hoping to end the chapter before then, buuuuuut I needed a little more FangxVanille. I suppose it's still just set up, but it wouldn't make sense if Vanille just suddenly loved Fang after she just tried to get Hope. Anywho, I hope everyone enjoyed! So sorry for the delay! The past few weeks have just been SO BUSY! I had tons of stuff to do, and I'm terribly sorry for the tardy update! :D**

**Without further ado, I will say… Love Square has commenced, ne? **

**Please review! Criticism welcome, as always. **

**Ja ne! :3**


	6. The Beginning of Us

**Authoress' Note: GAH! Sorry, I'm really late! ...Again… This time, I have a decent reason! I was on a camping trip for the weekend with my friend and her family. Hehe… don't be mad?**

**WOO! More yuri! Just a little warning, but if you're still reading this, then I guess you're okay with it. Anyway, Lightning might be a little OOC in this chapter, as well as Hope, but I tried to keep them as in-character through all of the fluff. Which brings me to… FLUFF WARNING! There is a dangerous amount of fluff in this chapter!**

**My songs of inspiration for this chapter are a little odd, considering what the plot is like. These songs are Welcome Home by Coheed and Cambria, and I Hate Everything About You by Three Days Grace. Just some songs to think about while you're reading :P**

**Once again, thanks to my wonderful beta, Jabbertalky :3**

**Enjoy!

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**

**Recap: **_She'd learned to push aside these emotions, these urges, if it meant surviving. Seeing her so passionate about getting a boy brought everything back out in the open, much to her digress. Not only was the best fighter, other than herself, distracted, but Hope, Vanille, and even Fang had other things on their minds. These things, this feeling of love and jealousy, passion and regret, subtracted from their fighting skills, thus adding to the chances of the group not surviving. Pushing things to the back burner couldn't help this time. It only made things worse, made them grow into demons of the mind and soul until they eventually took every fiber of a person's being over._

_They were stuck—stuck in a love square.

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_

_**Day Two; Lightning**_

Sighing, Lightning stood, her hands placed firmly on her hips. Blue orbs almost glared a hole in Fang's skin with how hard she was staring at the Oerba woman. "Why haven't you told her?" the pink-haired woman asked simply. In her mind, she already knew the answer, but she didn't want to admit it. If Fang was thinking the same way Lightning had, she thought that… that—but Lightning couldn't allow herself to do such a thing to the one she loved. Impatiently, she began tapping her foot, waiting for Fang to reply.

Finally, Fang unwrapped her arms from around her legs, crossing one tanned limb over the other, much like a child does. "I don't want to hold her back from her happiness," she explained halfheartedly, her voice barely above a whisper. Dark eyes glazed over as Fang stood, looking at the tent flap, not really seeing the fabric. Instead, her gaze was focused on something deep within her mind, something no one else could see into. Her thoughts were on the past, stuck in her own mind. "If Vanille loves Hope, I can only help her, even if I end up hurting myself."

Lightning opened her mouth, about to say something. The words she wanted to say were on the tip of her tongue. She found herself not able to say what she so wanted to say, to tell Fang what she had on her mind. With the will of an ancient samurai, she fought the urge to yell at Fang for her stupidity. The wise woman may have had more truth to her words, Lightning briefly thought. _Maybe, _she thought, _I'm holding Hope back. _

Many of times she'd thought the same thing, had the same discussion with her conscience. Over and over she'd told herself that Hope deserves better; someone his own age that could match his every need. Her better judgment screamed at her, telling her that she was doing something so wrong; no one would forgive her for it. She'd have to live with that guilt her entire life. And Hope—he'd miss out on everything a teenage boy was supposed to experience. Already he'd lost the chance to do so many things because of what was happening on Cocoon. Who was Lightning to hold him back even further? There was a possibility that Hope would thank her later, if only she'd let go.

"Hello? Earth to Light!" Fang yelled as she clutched Lightning's shoulders in a vice grip, shaking her to wake the soldier from her thoughts. Both of the women were kneeling on the hard ground, dirt digging into their knee caps and leaving slight, painful indentions on the tender skin. Once knocked out of her thoughts, Lightning looked into Fang's dark eyes. Curiosity and worry swam in her irises as she spoke, "You scared me there for a minute, Farron."

Not hearing the voices from within, Vanille swung her arm underneath the heavy tent flap and lifted, carefree. She'd gotten what she wanted for that day—she was sated and satisfied, ready to take on anything. But she wasn't ready for what she was about to see. As stepped through the low entrance of her temporary sleeping place, she saw Fang's back wrapped in blue silk, her hands resting on Lightning's bare shoulders. From where she stood, it looked as if the two were holding each other intimately—as if they were about to kiss. Instantly her face lit up a red brighter than a candied apple. She cleared her throat nervously, trying to gain attention from the two women. Still, her face was covered with a heavy blush as she told them, "We're leaving soon. Everyone is supposed to be packing." Her voice was a mere squeak, about to break at the unusual and unexpected sight before her.

Lightning and Fang pulled apart, their faces also alight with a slight flush. They refused to meet each other's gazes. Instead, they stared intently at the ground. It was true, they hadn't done anything, but once Vanille interrupted them, they realized their very _compromising _position.

Without so much as a backward glance, Lightning calmly left the tent and moved toward her own. Once at the open entrance, she breathed deeply, trying to calm her erratic heart beat. She stood around the corner of the tent flaps tied loosely around a nearby tree to keep the space open. Inside the shelter was her—her what? Hope was inside, mere moments after Lightning walked in on him and Vanille kissing—cheating. She didn't want to face him, not at that moment. She was so unsure of their relationship, past, present, and future. Lightning didn't know what to do; she was at a loss for words.

Never one to back down from her fears, Lightning walked into the tent, blatantly ignoring Hope's curious stare. Neither of them spoke. Hope so wanted to speak to the woman he truly loved; the words were stuck in his throat, choking him, suffocating him of his life. Lightning packed her bag silently, staying as far away from Hope as possible. After a horribly long stretch of silence, Lightning thought she had finished packing. Double checking her things, she not found one of her spare shirts missing. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw a small piece of brown cloth peeking out from underneath the blackness of Hope's shirt. She knew she had to pick it up; otherwise she'd be without a clean change of clothing at their next stop. But maybe she could pretend she didn't notice the garment was missing. _That might work_, she thought. _That way I won't have to go near him. _Don't be mistaken; her love for him had never ceased, even after all they'd been through. She was mad at him, frustrated with what he'd done to her earlier that day.

"Hey, Light, here's one of your shirts. I don't know how it ended up here…" Hope trailed off, not wanting to upset the woman any further.

Angrily, Lightning yanked the fabric away from him and stuffed in into her pack, once again checking to make sure everything was there. Sighing in relief, she noticed that nothing was missing from her inventory. Still not speaking to the boy, Lightning scurried out of their shared tent, walking to the fire circle. There, Snow, Sazh, and Fang waited for the others to join them. She was glad to have these people around her, as opposed to all six; then, the two she was furious with would have been there to remind her of what had gone wrong. Not that she knew what really had gone wrong, but that Hope had _done _wrong. For the sake of their journey and survival, Lightning had to push away any emotional attachments and bias. They were about to embark on yet another long trip after a few days of rest. Nothing could interfere with their fighting skills in the wild lands of Gran Pulse. The journey had proven to be a difficult travel; it was bound to get worse.

"Where's Hope?" Snow asked loudly and rudely. Oblivious to their situation, hadn't noticed the tension between Lightning and Hope. Otherwise, he wouldn't have directed the question toward Lightning.

Scoffing, she jerked her thumb toward the still-standing tent over her shoulder. "He was slow to pack, so he's taking down the tent. It could take a while." Her words were harsh, she knew, but it was the only way she could bite back what she wanted to yell at Snow.

"That's great, Light. Leave the kid to take care of that monster all by himself," Snow said sarcastically. "I'm going to go help him."

"He'll never learn if you keep babying him, Snow." She said his name venomously, full of poison.

Face turning red out of anger, Snow stood, his hands balling into large fists. "I'm not the one _babying _him. You're the one who's in love with him for Maker's sake! I'm sure you've been giving him _plenty _of _help_," he retorted before he could stop himself.

Quickly deciding things were getting too heated, Sazh lunged between their bodies, preventing them from attacking each other like they wanted to. The feral look in their eyes was too much for Sazh to take at that point; he just wanted to have a smooth journey. "Hey now, let's take a deep breath. We don't need this right now," he said, his voice low with command no one knew he possessed. Roughly, he pushed the two farther apart before sitting on a log once again. "Snow has a point. Someone should help the kid."

"Why would I need help? It's just a tent," Hope said quietly from beside Lightning. The woman jumped, having not realized his presence. Vanille had also appeared, sitting cross-legged next to Fang. "And I'm not a kid."

Clearing her throat, Lightning discreetly stepped away from the silver-haired teen. "If everyone's here, let's go."

_**Day Two; Hope**_

"Think whatever you want to believe," Lightning stated calmly before she increased her pace so that she was nearly jogging.

Hope, no longer wanting to argue with the woman he loved, began walking even slower than he had before. Fang and Vanille passed him, the two chattering away animatedly. For just a moment, Vanille glanced back at Hope and winked, her jade eyes twinkling with delight and mischief. All over again, he felt guilt stabbing painfully at his heart. Not only had he hurt Lightning, his relationship with the woman, and his own dignity, but he'd given Vanille the wrong message. She was surely going to think Hope was hers and hers alone, now. But that wasn't the case, for his heart still belonged to Lightning. That's why he so urgently needed to fix what he'd broken. The one thing he never wanted to lose as a child had been lost, and he didn't want to feel that pain again.

A few paces later, Snow and Sazh were sauntering lazily on either side of him. Reassuringly, Snow placed a large hand on his sagging shoulder. Sazh looked at the boy, his eyes full of pity. Hope didn't want anyone to feel sorry for him, nor did he wish for any one to sympathize, to tell him that they'd been through the same thing—that he should just give up. What he really wanted was to punch something, or someone. He wanted to let out his pent-up emotions. He'd explode if he didn't find a way to relieve his stress, and soon. All the while, he didn't want to seem weak to the two men he looked up to. Sighing, Hope shook off the hand resting heavily on his frail shoulder and began walking a little faster so he was a few feet in front of the two men. Said men looked at each other, knowing in their eyes.

"Just wait until we stop to set up camp," Snow suggested. "You can talk to her then." Smiling, Snow caught up to the angry teenager, slinging a muscled arm across his back and over his shoulders. "She'll let up eventually," he said, his grin increasing in size.

Nervously scratching the back of his neck, Sazh thought what he should say next. He didn't want to see Hope depressed, not did he want to see Lightning mad—especially while they didn't know the area they were in. Regardless, he didn't exactly approve of Lightning and Hope's relationship. Their age difference was inexcusable. If his son was to date a woman seven years older than he, Sazh wasn't sure he'd be very supportive of such a relationship. And after travelling so far together and going through so much, Sazh was beginning to think of Hope as a second son. He knew that, in the end, Hope would only end up hurt, wounded for a lifetime. Breathing calming gulps of air, Sazh found the courage to say, "I think you should just give up." Both Snow and Hope stared incredulously at the man as he explained, "I wouldn't want my son dating someone so much older than him. I care about you, Hope. I don't want to see you hurt. Lightning is too mature for you. You should find someone your own age—someone you can better relate to."

Gaping, Hope couldn't stand to hear anymore of what Sazh had to say. Frustration bubbled in the pit of his belly, anger welling up behind his eyes, causing burning tears to build up at his eyelids. Blinking the salty drops away, he shoved Snow's arm off of him, having to use more force than he thought. It was just an arm, but it weighed more than Hope had anticipated. This only fueled the fire in his heart; anything made Hope more pissed off at that point. He sought acceptance, not just from Lightning, but from Sazh and Snow, too. He looked up to them, and for one of them to tell him he's done wrong, just like that—it made him sick to his stomach. Because of his little temper tantrum, he fell back a bit, now behind everyone else in the pack. Sazh tried to apologize to him, but he didn't hear anything. Hope saw Snow talk to him about something, but he didn't really care what they had to say anymore.

_Would this have happened if mom hadn't died?_

The overwhelming need to take his frustration out on something was gratified when a loud roar sounded not even a meter behind him, scaring him out of his wits. Turning around to face his predator, he came face to face with two giant blobs of slime. Each of them looked ticked off with their arms flailing wildly. Not thinking twice about the situation, Hope unfolded his Vidonfir and smirked devilishly. Immediately, he began casting spell after spell, loving the tingling feeling in the back of his mind as he threw waves and lightning bolts at his enemies. Freezing the blobs over, he saw Lightning come at them from the corner of his eye, her gunblade gripped tightly in her hand.

Lifting her weapon over her head, she felt her rippling muscles flex beneath her skin. She relished in the sensation, if only for a moment. With all the strength she could muster, she brought the sharp blade down on the feral flan, effectively cutting it in half. The, now dead, blob's partner screeched in fear, realizing it had no chance of winning their fight. Just as the creature was about to run off, Lightning stabbed it fiercely. The slime disappeared, defeated. Sighing out of relief, Lightning turned to Hope, a scowl painted on her face. "Don't ever do that again! You can't take down two flan by yourself. Don't you think before you do?" Lightning's voice had its normal commanding tone, but something else, too. A hidden emotion was visible in her eyes, Hope noticed. Was she worried about him?

Then he realized something; she wasn't just talking about attacking without nay help. She was talking about his earlier actions. Like a brick wall, guilt hit Hope full-force. He turned his gaze away from her, ashamed of what he'd done. Lightning was hurt by that kiss he'd shared with another woman, just as he was hurt by her unwillingness to talk to him about it. Both of them had reason to be upset with each other. Hope couldn't help but feel that he was the cause of it all.

"Light, I'm sor-" A raised hand cut off his apology. Lightning opened her mouth to say something, but Fang stepped in front of her, stretching her tan arms above her head.

Fang yawned loudly, annoying Lightning. Hope took in her grimace as she realized what Fang was doing—she was distracted the two from getting into an argument. Smiling at her concern, Hope grabbed the tent he and Lightning shared just as she said, "We stay here for the night." Hope's smile widened even more; the soldier was beginning to sound more like herself with every passing second. "Fang and I stay in one tent, Hope and Snow in another, and Sazh and Vanille in the last one," she said, making Hope regret his previous happiness. She still didn't want to talk to him, even after all that time she had to cool off?

Snow and Fang began arguing with Lightning over who should be in what tent. Each of them threw good points into each other's faces, but in the end, everyone, except Lightning, of course, agreed to keep their former sleeping arrangements. At this, Hope was glad. Lightning had no way to escape him if they were going to share a tent, no matter how much she wanted to avoid him. Smirking internally, Hope began setting up the tent. When he looked up at Lightning, he saw Snow give him an encouraging wink, looking at the pink haired woman in front of him.

In no time, Hope had the tent set up, with the help of Lightning, his bedroll already laid out on one side of the tent. Sitting with one leg crossed over the other, he pulled off his gray and black gloves, his fingers tender from being confined for so long. Suddenly nervous, he began twiddling his thumbs, searching for the words he wanted to speak. His brain came up with nothing suitable for his situation, making him curse himself. Instead of trying to speak, Hope chose to watch Lightning.

Pink hair swinging over her shoulder, the woman began unraveling her bedroll. Her pale fingers smoothed the wrinkled surface before she reached into her pack. Pulling out a smaller bag, she took off her gloves and shoved them inside the velvety case. With a click, she had her gunblade holster, sans blade, resting next to her things. She began cleaning her precious weapon as she did every chance she got, wiping a cloth over the shiny edges. A metallic gleam reflected onto the sides of the tent, nearly blinding Hope.

"Staring won't make anything happen," Lightning said quietly, tenderly. No trace of anger was apparent in the way she said it. She never stopped to look up at Hope's surprised expression, but continued tending to her blazefire saber. When Hope said nothing to her, she placed her blade atop her bedroll. Gazing into his emerald orbs, she asked solemnly, "Do I hold you back?"

Taken aback, Hope stared at her, confused. He searched through his memories, scoured through his brain, trying to come up with a reasonable response to her simple question. "W-what do you mean?"

An uncomfortable silence hung over them. The tension in the air was so thick, one could cut it with a knife. "Are you really happy with me? You could have someone your own age, someone more willing to do… things with you," she said, her voice so quiet Hope had to crawl closer to her just to hear what she had to say. "Like Vanille. You obviously thought she was better… Since you…" A hand cupped her cheek, her breath hitching at the soft caress of the hand she missed. She placed her hand on top of his, a tear sliding across her uncovered cheek, against her will. "Am I not enough, Hope?"

Noticing how upset she was, Hope pulled the vulnerable woman into his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her back. Lightning's arms wrapped around his shoulders as she sat in his lap, her breaths evening out. "You're more than enough, Light. I love you, no one else. The thing with Vanille… It wasn't supposed to happen. And I'm sorry," Hope whispered into her ear.

This made Lightning smile a bit as she pulled away from him. Her cheeks were light pink as she looked at Hope, love and care visible in her gaze. Although she'd forgiven him in her heart, she was curious. "Why did you kiss her?" she asked tentatively.

Hope began rubbing small circles on her back, slowly. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes. "When she was there, in front of me, she looked so much like you. All I could think about was you, Light. It just happened. I didn't want it to. I regret it, I really do. I wish it never happened." Pausing in his explanation, Hope placed a thumb under Lightning's chin, forcing her to look at him as he said, "I love you, Light."

Placing her lips softly against his in a gentle kiss, Lightning let the warmth of Hope's love seep completely into her body. "Anything, Hope. I'll give you anything."

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_**Day Two; Vanille **_

Chirping of crickets fills the night air; a sliver of liquid silver moonlight seeps through a miniscule crack in the entrance of the shared tent. Buried in a heap of slick fabric, a figure rests, curled into herself. Dazzling green eyes peek out from beneath her many layers of cover, gazing intently to another figure hidden under the sheets of her bedroll. Emerald orbs took in the curve of her slim hips, barely visible because of so many layers of cloth; the tan skin that seemed to glow in the soft moonlight of midnight; the raven locks splayed wildly, framing that familiar face. Vanille's mind was screaming at her to reach out and touch the soft skin, caress it until the sun rose above the horizon. But because of the mistake she made, saying she didn't love Fang, she wouldn't be able to fill her desires.

Fang's confession took Vanille by complete shock. After thinking about it, replaying it in her head for hours, she realized that it wasn't so shocking. All those years, she should have been able to notice. Growing up, Fang had been very protective over her, but she hadn't for a second thought that this action was because of love beyond that shared by sisters. With all of that thinking, Vanille wondered if she really did love Fang that way. She could have, really—Fang wasn't hard to love. None of that mattered then, for she'd already told Fang no. Was it too late?

Sighing, Vanille crossed her arms over her chest. Just a few hours before the 'incident,' Vanille swore she was in love with Hope. She'd promised herself she'd get Hope all to herself; she'd put an already fragile relationship at risk through her plots and intense crush—the thought hitting her like a wall, she realized she didn't love Hope, not like that. The immature 'love' she'd felt when she was around Hope wasn't love at all—it was just hormones. She didn't really understand what she had been thinking while acting upon her feelings toward Hope, but she knew she wasn't acting like herself when she did what she had done. Kissing someone else's boyfriend—whether that was verified or not—wasn't okay. Hope did kiss back, though, right?

Groaning, Vanille wondered what she had been doing this whole time. Was she really that much of a monster? More importantly, how could she not have noticed Fang's feelings? It was all there, she knew, as she thought about how Fang didn't want Vanille to go through with her plans to get her 'dream boyfriend.'

_He kissed me! I have a chance! _Vanille thought, frustrated with herself for not being able to chose which person she loved more. _Do I want that chance? _

Everything was so confusing for Vanille. Who was the right choice? It had to be made, her mind needed to come up with an answer.

_Maybe sleep will help… _

Clutching the fabric over her heart, Vanille rolled over so she was facing the side of the tent, her nose nearly brushing against the thick cloth. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, calming herself. Once her mind was cleared, she could feel the tendrils of sleep lapping at her feet like a wave does the shore.

"Why do you do this to me, Vanille?" Softly, a voice made Vanille fall out of her doze. Not wanting to make Fang think she was awake, Vanille tried vainly to stay absolutely still, while keeping her breaths even. She added a soft snore for good measure. Fang didn't seem to notice her being awake, as she went on, "Teasing me like you did. Why didn't you just push me away in the first place?"

"I wish I knew," Vanille whispered. She realized what she did, clamping a hand over her gaping mouth. _Cover blown. _

"God damn, Vanille, you scared me," Fang said breathlessly, a hand over her pounding chest. Remembering what she'd muttered moments ago, she coughed nervously. She wanted to avoid the subject, so she asked, "What are you doing up so late? Can't sleep?" Nodding her head, Vanille made a high-pitched noise of confirmation in her throat. Motioning the girl over, Fang opened her legs so they made a v-shape. Vanille sat on her haunches in between her legs, resting her head comfortably on the exotic woman's chest. The beating of her slow heartbeat soothed Vanille, causing her to get drowsy all over again. "Vanille…" Fang started, but let her voice trail off, unsure of what she was going to say.

A pale finger was placed firmly over Fang's plump lips. "Fang… I think… I think I love you."

More than surprised, pleasantly, of course, Fang gently pushed away the hand hovering over her mouth. "You don't need to force yourself, Vanille. I'm fine just being your friend."

"Silly, I want to be more!" Vanille cried dramatically. Giggling lightly, the sound of tinkling bells ringing through the air, Vanille placed a chaste, barely-there kiss against Fang's slightly parted mouth. Vanille wrapped her arms around Fang's neck and smiled widely at her new lover. "Will you be mind, Fang?"

"Always and forever, Vanille," Fang whispered sweetly before kissing Vanille once again. **(1)

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**Authoress' Note: (1) I tend to use this line… A lot… Sorry for the repetition. **

**So! What did everyone think? This chapter took me WAY TOO LONG to write. It took me like… six or seven hours without editing. It's really quite sad. Regardless, I like the way it turned out, although it didn't exactly match what I had planned out. Planning the chapter took me a little over an hour by itself, so I knew this was going to be a monster to write. The obscene amount of fluff made me blush more than once, but, eh, it's all good. My blushing at fluff is quite funny though… I can write a lemon without blinking, but fluff… Hehe…**

**SPEAKING OF LEMON! I'm debating whether or not I'm going to put a lemon in this story. If I do, it's most likely going to be a FangxVanille lemon, because I wouldn't feel very comfortable with a lemon scene between a 14 year old and a 21 year old, ya know? Let me know what you think!**

**Reviews greatly appreciated! Criticism always welcome!**

**Ja ne! :3**


	7. Numb Until the End

**Authoress' Note: I'm really sorry for not updating in so long, but life has been really hectic! I'm finally back with an update, and I'm sad to say… this is the last chapter, indeed. I really had fun writing this story. Yeah, I got pretty frustrated (with myself) at times, but this has been my most successful story, and I'm very proud of how it turned out. **

**Yes, the rating has changed to M, for there is a LEMON (that means SEX) scene in this chapter. **

**As a 'goodbye' of sorts, I'd really like to thank everyone who reviewed; everyone who put up with my tardiness; everyone that stuck with me through the whole story; everyone that put up with the confusing points of this tale; everyone who has supported me. Thanks to everyone, really, from the bottom of my heart. **

**And a special thanks to my Beta, Jabbertalky, even though I didn't get much time to work with you. **

**DON'T HATE ME FOR THE ENDING! PLEASE! D':**

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_**Day Two; Lightning**_

Clearly taken aback by her words, Hope couldn't help but flinch away from the woman's touch, if only slightly. Because he moved, Lightning fell out of his lap, landing not so softly on the hard ground, her butt aching for a moment. She frowned, having realized the warm embrace of her lover was gone. That heat, the soothing fire, of Hope's body was dearly missed in those few passing seconds they didn't touch. Each of them yearned for some form of contact, and yet Hope stayed where he was, staring incredulously at the pink-haired woman before him. Against what she'd said a million times, Lightning shocked the teenager by practically offering herself to him. Her whole body—is that was she meant by giving him anything? Over and over again, she'd said no. A million times, she'd stopped Hope dead in his tracks. But then, she said _anything. _

A soft blush rose to Hope's boyishly round cheeks as he thought of all the possibilities, since Lightning's body was his, and his alone. He gulped, words stuck in his throat. On the inside, he was ecstatic. At the same time, he was nervous, worried, scared; anxious, even. All the while, Lightning's cerulean eyes stared up at him, wide and afraid—afraid of what he was going to say. His silence scared the soldier a bit. Did he not take a liking to her offer? Surely, she thought he'd jump at the opportunity. That's the only reason why he went after Vanille, right? Because she was willing to do as he so wished, when Lightning refused to do more than kiss.

Pushing aside any self-consciousness, Lightning spoke up, a light pink lighting up her face, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that…" she trailed off, trying to gauge Hope's reaction.

The boy sat, still stunned, for a little while longer. His green eyes searched Lightning's soft blue orbs for something to tell him he wasn't dreaming. To him, that's what the whole thing felt like; a dream in which he could do whatever he wants without any reprimands. From the burning sensation in his fingertips, the tingling in his toes, the tightening in his chest, he knew, though, that this was the real deal. Once and for all, the woman of his dreams could be all his.

"A-are you sure it's okay with you, Light?" Hope asked tentatively, his voice wavering from a multitude of emotions crashing into him like a thousand tsunamis. She nodded slowly, solemnly. "I… I've never done anything like… like this before," he said, embarrassed beyond belief.

Chuckling lightly, Lightning made her way over to her boyfriend, once again sitting in his lap. She relished in his warmth as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Their lips almost brushed with how close Lightning leant into the shaking boy. Smile still twisting her lips upward, she whispered against his tightly closed mouth, "I'd be worried if you had." Hope's eyes widened a fraction, surprised at her crack at humor in that serious moment. Quickly, his green irises filled with amusement, matching his companion's mischievously glinting orbs. Smile dying down a bit, only to be replaced with a loving look, Lightning connected their lips, a soft touch. Soon, she applied more pressure to Hope's lips, wanting him to do something other than sit there like an idiot.

Taking the hint, the silver-haired teen licked Lightning's lower lip, begging for entrance. This plead was answered as the more experienced of the two slipped her tongue into a hot, moist cavern and began exploring the familiar mouth. She already knew the roof of his mouth tickled every time it was touched, that his tongue often darted around unknowingly, sloppily. Despite these odd quirks, Lightning loved kissing the boy. Every desperate move was met with equal fervor. Hope responded perfectly to her beckoning call, twisting his slimy muscle with hers. A tango of passionately dancing tongues began, the two helplessly oblivious to their surroundings.

"Please, Hope, touch me," Lightning whispered seductively, lowly. She had to part their lips to do such a thing, much to Hope's disappointment.

Hope's steadily awakening member twitched as Lightning said those words, shocking the teen. He'd had erections before, yes, but never before had he been so close to someone while something like that happened. Even through their layers of clothing, Lightning was able to feel everything happening in his lower regions. Both of them blushed as the sensation of raging hormones took over their bodies. In response to Lightning's wish, Hope swallowed thickly. His hand swept over her breasts, one at a time. Immediately Lightning's nipples hardened further than they already had. As his hand lowered, skimming over her toned body, he unbuckled and unzipped the articles of clothing clinging to her pale skin. Soon, the woman was left in only her bra and panties, neither covering much of her more private areas. Doing a once-over on Hope, she saw that he still had all of his clothing on. Not going to stand for it, she eagerly removed each item.

Her fingernails scratched over Hope's sensitive skin as she peeled away his jacket, his black shirt soon following. The smooth expanse of his chest left Lightning in momentary awe. Gaining her senses, she unzipped Hope's fly one tooth at a time. Slowly, tantalizingly, the metal sides separated from each other. Blue fabric poked out of the open space, Hope's member rubbing uncomfortably against his restraining boxers. Grinning slyly, Lightning pulled down his pants and underwear at the same time. The hot flesh of his straining erection met cool air, causing the teen to gasp loudly. Lightning kept smirking at him. Without warning, she pushed him so that he was lying on his back, his cock standing tall and proud.

For a while, she did nothing. She simply stared into his jade green eyes, many moments passing by. Without warning, Lightning leant forward, her mouth slightly parted. Smile forming on her lips once again, she tenderly kissed the mushroom tip of Hope's erection. Regardless of the logical side of his mind telling him what was to come next, he wasn't prepared for the sensation of a moist, warm cavern engulfing his entire member at once. He couldn't help but whimper; the woman's mouth was so sinfully wrapped around his throbbing cock, gingerly sucking. Tentatively, Lightning poked her tongue out and ran the muscle up Hope's swelled organ from base to tip, leaving a trail of saliva in its wake. Hope's back arched into the feel of her hot mouth surrounding him completely. He loved the woman, more than he'd loved anyone else, and he trusted her. He wanted her—all of her. And he was finally going to claim the woman of his dreams.

A red hot coil burned in the bottom of Hope's stomach as he neared the edge. Closer and closer with each suck he came to his release, until he could take it no longer. He released his bitter seed into Lightning's waiting mouth and relished in the feel of her throat muscles clamping down on him as she swallowed his milk of life. To say it was the best orgasm he'd experienced would be an extreme understatement; it was mind blowing. So much so, he couldn't stop shaking, nor could he slow his hearts rapid acceleration against his ribs. His heart was ready to leap from his chest from all the excitement he was going through.

"Hope…" Lightning whispered lowly, hoarsely, startling Hope, whom was still trying to recover from his orgasm. "Touch me." As she murmured these words, she lightly touched her wet panties. She let out a soft moan at the friction the barely-there touch created. The woman was horny, extremely so. She desperately needed release, something to keep her from going mad.

Gulping the newly forming lump in his suddenly dry throat, Hope sat up, his abdominal muscles rippling beneath his creamy skin. With slight hesitation, he reach a hand behind Lightning's back and felt for the complicated clasp. His fingertips brushed the ends of her cherry-colored hair and he sighed in delight. Nimbly he unhooked all three of the clasps, causing the thin black straps of the bra fall off Lightning's shoulder tauntingly—not far enough to expose much, but just enough to get Hope painfully hard once again. Placing a rough kiss on her lips, Hope pulled off the cupped fabric and threw it across the confined space, not caring where it landed. With intense passion, the teen pulled Lightning on top of him. Instead of staying in a sitting position, he leaned back until the hard ground began digging uncomfortably into his back. Each passing second the two lovers got hotter, more bothered. Their skin rubbed against each other, creating delicious friction that only made them hornier.

Not able to take it any longer, Lightning yanked off her panties and threw them in the direction of her bra. Fully naked, she rubbed her wet self over Hope's painfully hard erection, moaning loudly at the jolts of pleasure it sent up her spine. She didn't think twice before she slammed herself onto Hope's pelvis, his erect member fully sheathed in her tight heat. Both of them moaned at the unusual feeling. Lightning whimpered slightly as she felt like she was being torn from the inside, but soon forgot the pain when Hope lifted her hips and pulled her back to him, effectively thrusting within her. Every time she bounced against him, he brushed against a bundle of nerves. And when he touched that spot, even if it wasn't direct contact, she let out a wanton moan and threw her head back, lost in the realms of ecstasy.

The two created a fast-paced rhythm filled with cries of the other's name. Quickly, they realized they wouldn't last much longer. Before long, Hope released his seed inside of Lightning, grunting her name as her inner walls milked every drop out of his weeping member. At the same time, Lightning screamed into the silence of night as she came, the thick liquid spilling down her thighs.

Exhausted, the woman collapsed on her lover. Hope wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and pulled her closer to his chest, wishing they could stay like that forever.

Stroking Lightning's hair soothingly, Hope sighed contentedly. "I love you, Light." He felt his lover snuggle deeper into his bare chest and chuckled lightly. "I didn't think you'd be the type to cuddle." At this, Lightning playfully punched Hope's shoulder, which only made the boy laugh with more mirth. Looking down at her, he saw her blue eyes lit up with love and care, a smile gracing her soft features.

Even in the most perfect moment he could ever dream of, Hope couldn't shake the feeling something bad was about to happen.

* * *

_**Fang; Day Three**_

Sunlight poured through the crack in the opening of their shared tent, causing one of the women to stir from her deep, peaceful sleep. Yawning, she felt something warm, something solid, resting in her arms. The beautiful creature was curled tightly into her chest, wrinkling the blue silk of Fang's sari. Smiling, Fang ignored what normally would have made her angry with the pinkette. The two were together at last, after years of wanting, yet never able to reach that desire. Yearning, day after day; having to see someone so flawless pass by every second of the day; it was too much to handle. But she no longer had to deal with that kind of torture. She had what she wanted; Vanille. The girl—no, the woman—was all hers, and hers alone. And although Vanille still felt a twinge in her heart every time she saw Hope, she couldn't help but love Fang, be it as friends, family, or more.

Pushing aside these absurd thoughts, Fang began stroking the hair of her new lover, relishing in the feel of the soft, curly locks between her caramel-colored fingers. It was like liquid silk slipping through the deep calluses in her hands, and damn did it feel amazing. The Oerba woman did not want to move from the spot, she simply wanted to stay like that, connected to her lover, until the end of time. She'd reach for the end of the universe if it meant she could stay with her forever—she'd nearly done just that. In crystal stasis she'd stayed for years upon years, only to end up with her long-time crush once again.

When Fang and Vanille reunited, the elder of the two felt so incredibly happy, relieved, angry, ecstatic, and passionate all at once she wanted to burst from the overwhelming emotions. Yet, she didn't. She contained everything, waited for the perfect moment. When she confessed to Vanille, it may not have been the time she'd wanted it to be or in a place she'd planned on, but it had to suffice. Everyday could be their last—both of them knew that. They were willing to risk it, if not for themselves, then for the other. Living each day like the last, they were. Always on edge, but never letting an opportunity slip by them like butterflies carried on a thick stream of air. No—they grabbed each chance in a grip like a vice, so tight it might never escape their minds.

Sighing, Fang shifted in her hazy half-asleep state, Vanille beginning to wake in her arms. Arms still encircling the thin waist of her lover, Fang pulled them into a sitting position. Vanille moved around a bit until she rested in between Fang's parted legs, one knee on either side of her shoulders. Leaning forward to brush her thin lips against Fang's, Vanille intertwined their fingers. They fit like two puzzle pieces meant to be put together. Her missing piece—she'd found it at last.

"G'morning," Fang whispered against Vanille's lips, her voice raspy with affection. "Did you sleep well?" She still hadn't opened her eyes from when their lips touched. The spark created by the small, yet intimate, contact left Fang spiraling, falling, within herself. What that girl did to her was starting to seriously affect her. In her mind, she knew everything about this situation was wrong, but her heart was screaming for the love she's craved for so long. Now that she had what she wanted, she never wanted to let it go. Forever she'd hold on to every scrap of what had just begun.

"—Fang? Are you listening to me?" Vanille asked, touching her shoulder. Fang got a distant look in her dark, smoldering eyes, and just spaced out. Vanille didn't know if something was wrong, or if the woman was just thinking. She had a bad habit of completely ignoring what went on around her while in deep thought. "Are you alright?" the pink-haired girl asked softly, her voice high as always.

Shaking her head to rid herself of any thoughts not pertaining to the present, Fang looked deep into Vanille's sea-green eyes, simply admiring the complexity of the color. Green, with hidden waves of blue, had flecks of golden-brown dotted the bottomless orbs. Placing a hand tenderly on her pale cheek, Fang pecked Vanille's soft lips. "I love you, you know that?"

Vanille tilted her head to the side, her hair falling over one shoulder. She did not dawn her normal pigtails, having insisted they made her uncomfortable while asleep. A smile graced her face, her shiny white teeth giving off a slight glare in the steadily brightening light slipping into the tent. "Of course. I love you, too, Fang." To emphasize these words, she pushed Fang back by her shoulders so the woman was lying on the hard ground beneath her lithe form. Firmly she placed her lips over her lover's and began moving them slowly, sensually. Their lips moved against each other, completely in synch. A battle for dominance began when Vanille forcefully shoved her tongue past the barrier of Fang's lips. Eventually, Fang won.

Smirking inside her head, the dark-haired woman flipped their positions easily enough. With her hands on either side of Vanille's head, she grinned at her lover before leaning down and connecting their lips once again. A hand traveled up her bare spine, sparks shooting through every nerve ending, pleasure swimming through every vein. Her heart beat loudly in her ears. The pulse was hard and fast enough she could feel the thumping, clenched and unclenched, in her gut. The knot that held her sari in place over her shoulder came undone, the blue fabric slipping slowly, teasingly, off her caramel shoulder.

"I-uh, um, never mind," Hope stuttered, a bright blush covering his face and part of his neck. The red flush reached the tips of his ears, visible beneath his silvery hair. His hands were balled into tight fists at his sides, nearly tearing the skin of him ungloved palm.

Vanille also had a light pink on her cheeks, but Fang did not have any trace of embarrassment on her face. "What do you want, kid?" Fang asked a bit harshly. She was a bit put off at the interruption. Nonetheless, she began retying her sari firmly over her warm shoulder. From the corner of her eye, she saw Vanille shoot her a reprimanding look at her rough tone with the boy.

_Does she… does she still care for the kid? _Quickly saddened by the thought, she raised a hand to her chest and clutched at the thin fabric of her clothing, urging the tightening of her heart to leave. _What is this feeling? _

* * *

_**Hope; Day Three**_

_What's this… this feeling? It's so warm and cuddly… _

Groggily, Hope cracked open his eyelids and peeked out into the world. Curled into his arms was Lightning Farron. The pink-haired soldier was cutely snuggling into his chest, breathing slowly and deeply, still asleep. Sighing, Hope began to pet her hair lightly, not daring to wake the woman from her sleep.

The occasional chirping of some Pulsian creature would disrupt the peaceful silence that hung in the early morning air. The light in the sky hadn't raised fully yet, still only an orange sliver over the grassy horizon. Not much of the golden light filled the tent yet. Still there was only a small illumination from the scarce light outside.

Hope grinned in spite of himself. He'd finally gotten the woman he wanted, and he'd be damned if he let her go. Forever, until the end of time, he would try to keep the woman by his side. His smile only grew further as one of Lightning's bright blue eyes cracked open wearily. Directing his smile to the seemingly helpless woman, Hope felt his heart skip a beat. In his chest, his heart pounded loudly, quickly, reverberating in his ears. Even with the incessant pounding, Hope felt better than he had in… well, in forever.

_My life. This is it. Everything I've dreamt of. If only you were here, Mom…_

Shaking his head to rid himself of any depressing thoughts, Hope tightened his grip around Lightning's waist and sighed contentedly. If this wasn't heaven, he thought happily, I don't know what is. Once again a smile graced his face as he thought that, even though Gran Pulse was supposedly hell, he felt like he was living in paradise.

"Mmm.. Morning, Hope," Lightning mumbled sleepily, rubbing the excess sleep from her tired eyes. Sluggishly, she pushed herself away from Hope so she was leaning on her elbows for support. The morning did not keep her from allowing a smile to spread across her delicate face. In the golden light from the seeping sunlight, everything about her seemed a million times softer, more vulnerable. To Hope, she was completely perfect in that moment, angelic, even.

Chuckling lightly and with much mirth, Hope stroked Lightning's face with his rough thumb. "Morning, Sunshine." He knew saying something like that would probably make her more than a little irritated, but he didn't care; he was too stuck in his mind's high to register any signs of danger. "Sleep well?"

Looking down in embarrassment, Lightning noticed her attire; nothing. She was as nude as the day she was born, just as Hope was in that moment. The cute blush that covered her confused face made Hope want to laugh. Then, he thought about why she'd be so embarrassed.

_Was last night a mistake? _

If the worst came to worst, Hope didn't know what he'd do. In times like this, he really had to clue—a plan was a lost cause. Lightning's face was her usual mask of stoicism, so Hope didn't know what she was thinking. This, of course, only made him panic inside. Vainly he tried to hide what he was thinking about, but knew he failed when Lightning gave him a sympathetic look. In her eyes he could see the pity lying there. Still, she did not speak. Hope was bordering a mental breakdown at her silence. Something, anything—that would be better than the tense lack of conversation.

"I—uh—Hope, about last night…" Lightning started, but didn't know where or when to finish. Instead, she let her voice trail off into the cool air of early morning. Coughing nervously, she habitually scratched the back of her hand, missing the feel of her gloves against her calloused skin. Hope couldn't look at her any longer; he was so afraid—so angry. If she hadn't meant it, why did she do it? Was she using him for her own personal gain? Was he just entertainment? Red flashed before his eyes. Heat rose to his face out of the amount of anger welling in the pits of his stomach. "I hope it doesn't change anything between us," the pink-haired woman said, finally finding her voice.

"W-what?" Hope stuttered without thinking. None of the words she'd said registered in his mind. For sure, he thought she was going to tell him about how much of a mistake the night previous was. But when she said she wanted things to stay the same—that shocked Hope beyond comprehension. "You mean y-you don't regret it?"

Lightning lifted a hand to her face and laughed to herself. Not finding anything about their situation funny, Hope looked at her, confused. The soldier before him muttered something incomprehensible under her breath before lifting her eyes to meet the curious green orbs a mere foot away. "Do I seem like the type to sleep with just anyone?" The smile, no matter how solemn or tight it may have been, disappeared completely as she paused. Hope only became more frantic and worried at this rather than comforted by her reassuring words. "The act was premeditated. I love you, Hope. I wouldn't dare do anything I might regret later when it comes to you." To emphasize her words, she lifted an uncovered hand to Hope's face. Her bare thumb stroked the soft patch of skin just below his ear, causing him to moan involuntarily. "I love you, Hope."

Smiling widely, Hope placed his hand atop Lightning's feminine one. "I love you too, Light." Looking sadly through the small crack in their shared tent, Hope saw the sun much higher in the sky than when he first woke. Sighing, he took Lightning's hand in his before pulling the woman to her feet. Carefully, he pecked the woman's lips and smiled graciously at her once more before turning to his things. Out of his bag, he picked out the first shirt he saw, which was, of course, solid black. No smell permeated from the article of clothing, so he slipped it over his head. The silvery locks atop his scalp looked ruffled by the time he got the shirt on, only making him look cuter and more innocent to Lightning. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lightning smile lightly before turning to dress herself.

Once dressed, Hope waved and said goodbye to his lover. As he left his tent, he couldn't help but notice the chill that ran up his spine. A tingly feeling lay in the back of his mind, waiting to strike his very being. The feeling was weird, and he didn't like the weird vibes his surroundings were putting off. Shaking his head at his paranoia, he made his way to their newly devised camp fire, already smelling the cooking meat on the frying pan. In response, his stomach let out a loud growl.

"Someone sounds hungry," Sazh called happily, almost too happily, to Hope. Waving his hand enthusiastically, the man beckoned the teenager to the seat next to him. Reluctantly, the silver-haired boy sat next to him, wishing he could have some food already. "How did you sleep?" Sazh paused and looked around him before going on. "Lightning didn't give you any trouble, did she?" he asked quietly so only the two could here. Snow, who was only a few yards away, couldn't even hear the two with Sazh's low tone.

Hope shook his head quickly from side to side, negative. "No, she was great, actually." At Sazh's confused gaze, Hope's face turned red as he realized what he insinuated. "I- I mean, she didn't really say much t-to me… W-we didn't talk. Much."

Sazh seemed to have deemed this answer as acceptable, for he went back to eating his breakfast, a short "hm" the only response he gave. But from the skeptical look in his eye, Hope knew he didn't really believe his story. Shrugging his paranoia off, the silver haired teen stared into the orangey flames of a brightly burning fire.

"—Hope? Earth to Hope!" A hand waved in front of his face, knocking him from his own thoughts. Vaguely and without much interest, Hope recognized the gigantic, tanned hand to be that of Snow Villiers. His green eyed gaze met with the steady, inquisitive look of the man's icy orbs. "You okay, kid? You spaced out there for a second. Something on your mind?"

Scratching the back of his head nervously, Hope chuckled lightly. "Yeah, you could say that." Snow left the teen with an even more curious expression on his face before turning back to the food he was cooking. Neither of the men around Hope said anything. The silence began driving the teenager crazy to the point of being frantic. He was ready to rip his hair out. Not able to take it any longer, he stood up, his chest heaving with deep breaths. "I did it! Are you happy now?" he exclaimed, accusatory.

Hope dully noted the slight gasp Sazh gave at the news. Yes, the man didn't like their relationship, and Hope knew that—but he needed to get such big thing off his chest somehow. Snow, however, looked at Hope happily, grinning widely, mischievously. There was something in his gaze, thought, that told Hope the blonde haired man wasn't completely proud of what he'd done.

"Wow. Didn't think you had it in ya, kid. Congrats," Fang said, obviously not enthused about the situation from the tone in her voice. On the inside, she was surprised, though. Really, who knew a punky fourteen year old kid would—or _could—_do something like that. Where had the youth gone? Chuckling to herself, she made herself comfortable next to Hope, on the other side of Sazh. She waited patiently, her hands folded neatly in her lap.

_That's so… not her. _

Regardless of Fang's uncharacteristic actions, Hope was extremely embarrassed. He hadn't meant to tell anyone what he'd done with—to—Lightning the night before, let alone Fang. The woman was sure to make fun of him for it, saying things like—he didn't even want to imagine what she'd say. No doubt, she'd make intensely suggestive comments and gestures throughout their continuous journey. A flush lit up his face, causing Fang to laugh loudly and rudely at his childishly innocent behavior.

Determined, he stood, his fists clenching and unclenching unconsciously at his sides. "I-I'm going to look for more food…" he trailed off, allowing the others to fill in the obviously blanks he left, well, blank.

"I'll go, too!" a high voice shouted from behind him. Arms wrapped around his middle playfully. "Come on, Hope! The wild awaits!" Vanille exclaimed, full of energy. How the girl managed to expend so much—so much… _Vanille _so early in the morning. With a loudly obnoxious giggle, the pigtailed girl grabbed Hope's gloved hand and began skipping into the lush green fields of Gran Pulse.

"Slow down, Vanille. There's no rush," Hope said slowly, quietly. The tension in the air was nearly tangible when he was around the pink haired girl. Past events between the two replayed themselves in Hope's head constantly, the memories flashing stubbornly before his eyes with every step he took. Vanille, it seemed, had no problem with what had happened between the two. In fact, she was even more happy and hyper than Hope had ever seen her. Something must have happened that he didn't know about, but he'd be damned if he didn't find out.

Simply giggling in response, Vanille let go of Hope's hand, momentarily missing the warmth of his touch. Frowning, she remembered that she had someone else's touch to relish—Fang's. Thinking of the Oerba woman made her face drop for a moment. Quickly, she regained her normal, bubbly composure. She turned to face Hope fully and smiled brightly at him, her hands clasped behind her back as she swayed back and forth. The slight breeze felt wonderful on her bare skin. She took a moment to take in the scenery of her old home, eyes closing in contentment. When she opened her eyes, she saw Hope staring at something over her shoulder, his jade eyes wide with fear. Tilting her head to the side in curiosity, she took a step toward Hope. "What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

Hope said nothing, but continued to stare wide-eyed at the thing that stood behind the oblivious girl. His mouth dropped open into a large 'o' as he took in the enormity of the monster that glared down at him not twenty yards away. The creature looked like a canine of some sort, much bigger than anything they'd fought before. With razor sharp teeth and claws to match, Hope dully thought it was Behemoth, but couldn't tell for sure. Fear was etched into his brain, numbing his muscles. His body wouldn't submit to any of his commands. None of his fingers moved, nor did his legs or arms. Regardless, he felt the familiar sensation of magic bubbling in the back of his neck, enveloping the myriad of emotions weaved into his mind. He wanted to cast a spell, to break out of his stupor, to get rid of the danger that lay just ahead of him, but he could do no such thing.

"H-Hope! Do something! Don't just stand there with your mouth open!" Vanille yelled close to his ear, nearly busting his ear drums. She shook him roughly, violently, wishing he would give her any sign that he was okay.

_What's happening to me? I've fought things worse than this! _

From the corner of his eye, Hope saw Vanille begin to cast spell after spell. She hit the creature, whatever it may have been, with everything she had. Aero, firaga, blizzara, aero, thunder, and over again. Flames, waves, giant shards of ice, mini tornadoes, crashed over the unknown monster. With each hit, the wild animal would simply wince, but never gave up on his trek closer to the pair. Even after dozens of immaculately accurate and powerful hits, the monster hadn't slowed down at all.

At that point, Hope had completely zoned out. He wasn't aware of anything going on in his surroundings. It was like the only things existing were Hope and that creature, which was steadily getting closer and closer to the temporarily paralyzed boy. Nothing else mattered at that moment. Just the thing in front of him and himself, not that he really felt his own presence. A scream erupted from beside him, and he heard it, but did nothing in response to the devastated cry for help. Before his eyes, Hope saw the creature stomp on of his too-large paws and heard a painful sounding crunch. A last cry rang out through the air.

Silence.

Hope. Creature.

Boy. Danger.

_Light… _

And then…

* * *

_Warm arms wrapped around Hope's shoulders, his face fitting perfectly in the crook of the girl's neck. Pink locks tickled his cheeks, making him want to laugh. But at the moment, nothing could escape his mouth. He'd just seen his mother fall from a ledge, from the grasp of a strange, blonde man. Soft words of comfort were whispered sweetly into his ears, reminding him of what his mom would do every time he cried as a young boy. This trigger made Hope miss his mom, Nora, already, and she'd just left. _

_ "Don't worry, everything will be alright!" _

* * *

_ He grasped the survival knife tightly in his hand, the metal design breaking the leather of his gloves. The cold metal sliced into the palm of his hand. He winced in response, refusing to cry out at the intense pain. Sure, he'd been through a lot, but he was ready to face his sworn enemy, Snow. _

_ Said man turned to face Hope, a smile on his face. How he could be so oblivious to Hope's teen angst, he wasn't sure, but he knew he'd pay for his mother's death. Snow would die in the name of revenge. _

_ Hope remembered all the times his mother came through for him when his father was away, not caring about the child. And that's all he was—a child, so naïve and innocent in a world falling apart. For his only life line to be taken away, he had more than enough reason to want to kill Snow. In his heart, he knew it was the right thing to do. Regardless, his mind screamed at him to just drop the knife Lightning had given him and walk away, to be the better person. _

_ With a silent tear trailing down his cheek, Hope made his way to Snow, knife raised in hand. _

* * *

_ "I don't know if I could so something like that," Hope told Lightning, a flush lighting up his face out of embarrassment. He didn't want to seem weak to the woman he looked up to, especially now that she'd be his caretaker. _

_ Scoffing, the pink-haired soldier turned away from the teenager with a blank face. Determinately, she spoke in an even tone, "There are some things in life you just do."_

* * *

_ "Wh-what are you t-talking about?" Hope sputtered. In his mind, he knew exactly what she wanted; therein lays the problem. No matter how much he wanted to explain to her why he couldn't do this (never mind that he didn't __want__ to do this), he couldn't tell her about Lightning. He could imagine the look the woman would give him. Her usual silent treatment would've lasted a lot longer than just a few minutes, more than an hour. Their relationship was fragile as it was. Neither of them needed to deal with the idea of everyone on Gran Pulse knowing._

_Another giggle. "You know exactly what I mean, Hope." Another step toward his shaking form. "I know you're not as innocent as you seem, going after such an older woman like Lightning." Her face was mere centimeters from his now. Warm puffs of minty breath caused his face to flush unnaturally. "Kiss me, Hope."_

* * *

_ Stroking Lightning's hair soothingly, Hope sighed contentedly. "I love you, Light." He felt his lover snuggle deeper into his bare chest and chuckled lightly. "I didn't think you'd be the type to cuddle." At this, Lightning playfully punched Hope's shoulder, which only made the boy laugh with more mirth. Looking down at her, he saw her blue eyes lit up with love and care, a smile gracing her soft features._

* * *

_ "That's it?" She was shocked, to say the least. Hope had been the once to fight for a chance until he got it, and he was just going to let it all go? "Where is the Hope that I know, the one who fought for me? Where the hell is he? I want him back." Saying nothing, Hope began to walk away from her, still looking vacant, see-through. Lightning was beyond pissed at his lack of reaction. She was so pissed, she roughly yanked him closer to herself, spinning him around. Without thinking her actions through first, she raised a clenched fist, bringing it down on his face. A loud crack filled the air as her knuckles connected with his jaw, nearly shattering the bone. Instantly she regretted the punch; Hope could never forgive her for raising a hand against him. She knew him well enough to realize that._

_When she was about to explain, or try to cover for her crude action, Hope walked out of the tent. Tears burned at the rims of his eyelids, threatening to spill over at any moment._

_"I'm sorry," she whispered, clutching the fabric over her heart._

* * *

_ His smile died as Vanille lifted herself from her slouched position, arms crossed stubbornly over her chest. A mischievous grin nearly split her face in two; evil glinted in her clear eyes. "I'm not going to let you go that easy." Uncharacteristically, her voice carried waves of sure-fire aggression. Fear and confusion crossed Hope's face at her tone. Never had she said anything like that to him, or to anyone as far as he knew. "I'm not all sunshine and rainbows, you know!" With those words of spite, Vanille ran off, arms swinging with exaggerated movement, hips swishing invitingly._

_Hands resting limply in his lap, Hope looked down at his feet. __**I can't carry three buckets of water all by myself…**_

* * *

_Claire "Lightning" Farron slumped against a wall for support. Sighing, she began wringing her hands nervously. Her fingers twisting, she was sure the leather of her gloves left imprints on her calloused palm. Hope looked expectantly up to his mentor, awaiting the answer of a lifetime. He tried desperately to meet Lightning's cerulean eyes, but she refused to make eye contact. Once again, she let out a thoughtful sigh. Many thoughts swam in her murky mind; hundreds of anxious butterflies fluttered in her empty stomach. A pained groan escaped her lips. "Hope, we… we can't," she choked out, her voice no more than a raspy whisper. She turned to leave the teenage boy to his thoughts when a hand grasped her shoulder. Out of instinct, she spun around, gunblade drawn. With the sharp blade at his throat, Hope didn't dare speak. Lightning's eyes no longer held the kindness and concern she usually showed Hope. Her crystal orbs were cold, no emotion slipping through as she stared at the silver haired boy. Reluctantly, she holstered her gunblade in its rightful place. "We're done here." Even with the stern tone in her voice, Hope didn't make to leave. "That's an order." When he still didn't budge, Lightning began walking to camp alone. _

_"You're just a coward." Hope may have muttered the words under his breath, but Lightning's highly trained ears picked up the challenge apparent in his threat. Those few words spiked her temper. Already she could feel the heat of an angered flush rising to her face. She'd stopped in her tracks, prepared to slaughter Hope if he went on. Ignoring the obvious tension in the air, Hope went on to say, "You can't even admit it to yourself. You love me as much as I love you. You can't stand being emotionally dependent on someone, Light. But I'm here for you. Always." _

_Lightning chuckled humorlessly. The situation she found herself in was anything but funny, but it was all she could to from snapping. It was true, she does care about Hope. Up until then, she thought it was on a brother-sister, maybe even a mother-son, level. But Hope confessed his love—that he was __**in love**__—for Lightning. Things between the two would never be the same. No amount of time, no growth, no replacement would fix what was lost in that moment. As a second, unwanted thought, Lightning asked herself what could have been gained from Hope's mature words. _

_She was fighting an internal battle tougher than anything she'd faced before. Behemoth Kings and powerful Fal'Cie were easier to beat than the argument her head and heart were dueling out. __**Keep a cool head**__, she chided. __**I want this—no, need this, as much as him**__, she concluded. Not even a millisecond later, Lightning ran over the endless consequences. Their age difference, never mind the fact that Hope wasn't even legal, was among the most prominent factors. Lightning imagined the looks of scorn the couple would receive if they went through with their desires. More importantly—__**what would Serah think? **__All of these complicated thoughts overwhelmed Lightning. The ex-soldier cried out, gloved hands grasping at her pink locks. She fell to her knees, tears threatening to fall. Swallowing the unshed droplets of salt water, she spoke, "Why do you do this to me, Hope?" Much to her surprise, her voice didn't crack, but was strong and sure. _

_Hope rushed to her side. Resting his hands reassuringly on her shoulders, he whispered words of comfort to her lithe form. After Lightning's breath evened out, the boys, as proud as ever, told her, "It's what you do to me, Light." Her eyes disobeyed her command my meeting the sparkling green pools of sheer love in front of her. "Please, just give me—us—a chance."_

_The corners of her mouth tugged upward in a small, but still there, smile. "You're too sweet for your own good, Hope."_

* * *

"_**There are some things in life you just… do."**_

* * *

**-End-**


	8. Epilogue: A New Day, a New Hope

**Authoress' Note: Hero's come back! XD After… I don't even know when the last time I posted was… ANYWHO! I'm back now, ne? This is the Epilogue! I'm… fairly satisfied with how it turned out. I feel that Lightning is a tad OOC throughout the beginning of this bit, though, so WATCH OUT!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed for the last chapter, and any other chapters, too! I really love feedback!**

**Thanks especially to my most understanding beta, Jabbertalky. Awesome. 100% :3**

**P.S. (in an A/N?) I hope this answers at least a few questions people had about the ending of LISLAS (see what I did there? :P)! I also hope this will satisfy the urge for more, as some of you have said you wanted. **

**I'd just like to say no that the chances of a sequel to this story are slim to none. I'm trying to move away from FanFiction and into more original stories. I'll still update every once in a while, but it won't be often, and I probably won't start another chapter story for a looooong time!**

**Reviews por favor, con una cereza?**

* * *

White lilies were set gently onto the gray stone. The woman's fingers brushed over the engraved words, _Hope Estheim, Died at the age of 14. He will be dearly missed. May he rest in peace. _The woman smiled sadly, choking back her tears. The longer she stared at the tombstone of her once-lover, the more she felt the urge to cry. And so she did. Until sunset, she cried. Tears dripped out of her blue eyes and cascaded down her cheeks. Her arms wrapped around herself to stop her shaking, to no avail. She curled into herself, a ball being formed of her body. Her bare knees touched her chest, only worsening the pain in her heart, or so it seemed. If her lover were there, he'd comfort her, tell her how much he loved her.

But he was gone, forever.

And there was nothing she could do about it.

Multiple times, she'd thought about killing herself, if it meant she could be with Hope once again. But the people around her told her not to, forced her to completely rid the idea from her mind. Even still, she so wanted to do anything if she could see her lover just one last time. That would be enough. Yet, life couldn't grant her that. She was doomed to years, decades, of eternal sadness and emotional detachment because of her lost lover.

A hand landed on her shoulder, cupping the soft skin comfortingly. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The slight pricking of long fingernails was enough of a clue to tell her it was her sister, of whom she got back after she and the rest of the living crew saved the world, literally. "Hey, Light," Serah whispered into her ear, her warm breath puffing against the sensitive skin just behind her earlobe. "It's time for dinner."

Lightning merely shook her head, her pink locks shaking back and forth. Her hair, to be truthful, was awfully greasy. Even a year after Hope's death and the initial rebuilding of Bodhum, or New Bodhum, she refused to take care of herself like she used to. She'd lost weight, too much to be healthy. No one expected her to take Hope's death so seriously. After her own parents died, she forced herself to carry on just as she had, as well as care for her younger sister while she was just a teenager herself. Hope, though, must have been more important to her than anyone else had known, if the way she treated herself was anything to go by.

Everyone else in the group of L'Cie had taken Hope's death badly, too, to be respectful. It didn't help that they'd lost Vanille in the same blow. None of them saw their deaths coming. The adults thought for sure they'd be the first to go. They were all wrong, and sorry to have not been careful enough with such precious lives. Yeah, they'd taken it badly, but not nearly as badly as Lightning. Each of them felt as though Lightning had become a completely different person. Hope died, and Lightning became especially sensitive to everything anyone said to her, and let go of herself.

And then Fang had given her life. She became Orphan, eternally living and yet not, not with everyone else as they carried on in New Bodhum. Lightning blamed herself for each of their deaths, but most especially Hope's. She couldn't love herself, couldn't respect herself. And so the only survivor of their little group, Snow, had to respect Lightning enough for the both of them.

When Lightning found out about Serah's ability to return, she had been happy, sure, but even her sister's return couldn't return her to her previous state of life. The woman lived with Serah and her new husband, Snow, as soon as they were able to afford it. Snow suggested she rejoin the new Guardian Corp instituted at the rebuilding of New Bodhum, but she steadfastly objected, claiming she lost all fighting ability and sense of right and wrong when all was well once more.

"Not hungry," Lightning mumbled quietly. Her blue eyes were stuck to the words engraved into hard stone, cold and lifeless. "Maybe later."

Serah crouched next to her older sister. She placed a hand tentatively on her shoulder in what she hoped was a reassuring gesture. "Maybe… you should forget him, Light. It's been a year." In her heart, she knew it was the wrong thing to say, but it had to be said—or so her mind thought.

Lightning's head snapped up to stare incredulously at Serah. Was she even hearing right? Or had her heartache dulled her senses, too? Not only was she incapable of loving anyone romantically ever again, but she was imagining things, too? She wasn't sure she was able to handle something like that, even with everything she'd been through.

Smiling lightly, Serah added, "Yuj and Maqui will there, too. It'll be just like old times! Come on, sis, it'll be good for you!" Always the optimist, Serah prayed such a get-together would fuel Lightning's spirit. Of course, she held some doubt. But she pushed those thoughts away, if only for her sister. "Come on, you know you want to go!" Still Lightning showed interest. "You at least need to eat. You won't even have to socialize."

Solemnly, Lightning nodded. She stood slowly and began to follow her younger sister to their home.

The two passed sandy beaches and several bars on their way back. The elder of the two paid no mind to anything they passed. Serah, however, was intrigued by all the new things people were building in New Bodhum. She was surprised, pleasantly, at the rapid pace at which they were rebuilding an entire city.

After a completely silent trip, they arrived to the Villiers' residence.

"Hey Sis, you feeling any better?" Snow asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Since New Bodhum began its Reconstruction, he'd joined the new Guardian Corp. Quickly, almost amazingly so, he'd gained several ranks. At the time, he was a Sergeant—a great feat indeed.

Much like she had to her sister, Lightning didn't give any kind of reply. She didn't do so much as recognize he'd asked her anything at all.

Sighing lightly, Snow placed a hand heavily on her shoulder, not at all trying to be gentle. Truth was, he was terribly fed up with Lightning's depressed teenager moods. "It's been a year, Light. Everyone else has already moved on. No one is as upset as you are! I'm sick and tired of this shit you're pulling! You need to get a job. You need to move out of _my family's _damn house and get your own, damn it!"

"Snow, I don't think you should—" Serah began, but was cut off my Snow's angry shouts.

"I definitely think I should! It's about time Light goes on with her life, don't you think? She's more than capable. She's a twenty-two year old woman, soon to be twenty-three. Farron," Snow spoke up loudly as he said her last name. Serah cringed as she heard her husband's tone of voice. Any time he didn't use one of his nicknames for Lightning, everyone knew he was pissed. And he was beyond livid with the poor woman then. "You need to leave. I'm fucking tired of this shit! Wake up!"

_SLAP._

The sound of skin-on-skin bounced off the walls as a hand connected with the scruffy cheek of another. Tears streamed down Lightning's cheek as she said, "You think this is easy for me? What if Serah just up and died? How the hell would you feel?"

Snow raised his hands in exasperation. "Like I don't know what it's like! Remember when Serah was crystal? She was a l'Cie, and I lived. I survived. I kept myself in line. I made sure to stay functional in society. But you—you're just a cold-hearted, unresponsive bitch now, Farron, and everyone is fed up with your petty act."

"You're not fed up with me, are you, Serah?" Lightning asked her stunned sister. "You still love me, right?"

Hesitantly, Serah nodded slowly. "I do love you, Light, really. But… I think you should still get a job or something. Just because Hope died… you're not dead, Lightning."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this from you, of all people!" Lightning shouted, silvery drops of salt water sliding down her face more rapidly. "I knew I should've never let you marry this idiot. Oafs, both of you." As she turned to leave, the pink-haired woman added as a second-thought, "Mother would be very disappointed, Serah."

The heavy oak door of the Villiers' residence slammed shut behind Lightning as she made her way out of the house in which she was no longer welcomed.

_Where to?_

* * *

Cold air curled around her whole body, slipped past the bare skin of her arms and legs. Sprays of chilly mist splattered against her porcelain face, wetting her cheeks. Droplets of water beaded in her eyelashes. She blinked away what she could at first, but lost interest quickly. She didn't care—about anything. If someone had seen her, with her knees pressed firmly against the squishy flesh of her voluptuous chest and arms wrapped around her crossed ankles, she wouldn't have given them the time of day.

Crystal blue water lapped at her toes. The pure icy feel of the bone-numbing water seemed to seep through her skin and right to the tiny bones of her feet. Damp sand stuck to her ratty skirt and crawled into the crevice of her legs; and still, she didn't pay any mind. Soft moonlight shone on her pink locks, the color almost pale-silver as the white light was reflected off stringy strands of hair.

To the woman, the air's temperature didn't matter. She didn't care if she froze to death on that sandy shore. If she had died, she would have been the happiest person to have lived. Death—the sacred silence that awaits everyone—would have meant meeting her lover once again. It's all she'd been wishing for, ever since Hope died.

_Some people believe death is to be deserved. Do I deserve to die? _

A soft sigh escaped Lightning's lips as she stared into the black, black sky. Only the small shimmering of a few stars lit up the inky darkness that was the sky—they represented hope, an inkling of something to look forward to.

Hard metal whispered against fabric as Lightning pulled out the survival knife that had once belonged to her. No longer was it really hers: it was Hope's, even in his afterlife. She stared longingly at the sharp object in her hand, opened to reveal a glistening blade. Her reflection stared back at her in the illumination of moonlight. The corners of her lips were tilted downward in a pained frown, her brow crinkled in thought. Her hair rested limply against her scalp and flowed past her shoulders, lifeless. So much like her eyes, without that spark.

_What will it take? To see you again, Hope?_

Breathing deeply, she lifted the knife in her hand so that the ice-cold metal touched her bare wrist. The tender flesh on her arm burned red in anticipation. As she took in more breath, a lump rose in her throat, blocking the passage of sweet, life-giving oxygen.

The feel of metal inside her, cutting into her flesh, was like nothing she'd felt before. It felt refreshing, like a breath of fresh air. She knew she shouldn't have started at all, but once she had, the knife went into her, out of her, time and time again, until only the blackness of unconsciousness found her there, on the beach of her replacement home.

* * *

White, white, blank light. Brightness seeped through the cracks of her eyelids as she slowly woke from her slumber.

_Is this my eternal rest?_

After a few moments, her eyes adjusted to the entirely too-bright light in the room. She blinked several times to clear her vision. Slowly, without hurry, she propped herself up on her elbows. A yawn escaped her lips before she could hold it in. Dully taking note of the tray with many tools next to her bed, she saw the posters urging good health plastered onto each of the walls surrounding her.

_The hospital… I'm not dead. _

"Lightning! Oh Maker, thank you! How are you feeling?" A light voice shouted from somewhere in the room. Several other voices, some deeper, some higher, sounded from next to her bed. She didn't hear what they had to say, the empty sound passing through one ear and out the other.

All she could think was, _I'm sorry, Hope. Maybe next time. _

"Oh no, Doctor, has she lost her voice?" Serah nearly screamed over the excessive chatter in the room. The doctor chuckled lightly and explained that no, Lightning hadn't lost her voice. She must have been frightened, he supposed. "Good. Then, Lightning, what happened?" her tone dropped from anxious to worried just like that, as if she'd never been frantic in the first place. "What made you want to…" she trailed off in fear of Lightning having another freak out.

Distantly, Lightning asked, "Have you ever felt so lonely, you didn't know what to do with yourself?" Serah looked at her, confused, from the look on her face. Lightning went on, "That's how I felt—have felt—am still feeling. I don't know what to do. There's nothing to be done, not to me. Without him… nothing is worth anything." The pressure of Serah gripping her hand only increased as she spoke. "I want to move on, but I'm not sure I can."

Out of the corner of her eye, Lightning saw a flash of yellow pass by her. A heavy hand laid itself against her shoulder, the fingers splayed against the paper-thin hospital dress that covered her pale skin. "We'll do anything we can, Sis."

_Snow…_

The hand on her shoulder was lifted, the relief from the lack of weight great. "I'm sorry about blowing up on you earlier. I don't know what got into me."

Serah smiled lightly at her husband, then at Lightning.

Closing her eyes tightly, Lightning leaned her head back. "Then get me the hell out of this place."

* * *

"I promise, it won't mean anything!" Serah exclaimed. Desperately, pleadingly, she grasped the thin forearm of her sister roughly between her delicate fingers. "Snow told me he wanted to go with you, and I couldn't let the poor boy down! It's just one date, Lightning. Please, for me?" The blue in her eyes lightened and small tears formed at the corners of her eyes as she pulled out her ultimate weapon—her puppy-dog eyes. She knew Lightning was never able to resist her most innocent face, and she'd be damned if she let the opportunity slip through her fingers like sand.

For the hundredth time that day, Lightning sighed exasperatedly. Serah—really, Snow, but anything Snow wants, Serah will give him—asked Lightning oh-so-nicely to "pretty please" go on a date with Yuj.

_"Remember, from NORA?" Serah asked hopefully. Blankly Lightning stared back at her. "The kid with the blue hair!" Recognition crossed Lightning's eyes before her blue irises visibly darkened. _

Not looking up from the ground, Lightning calmly said, "He's just a kid."

The hand on her arm pulled away as if burned. "Don't make me say it."

The challenge in Serah's voice cause Lightning's gaze to lift from the floor beneath her feet. "Say what?" She knew what Serah meant; she also knew her sister didn't want to hurt her more than she'd already been.

"You know damn-well what I mean!" Serah shouted.

"Woah woah, ladies, let's not get too excited out here!" a third voice shouted from the doorway. Wrapping an arm securely around Serah's shoulders, Snow winked at Lightning. "Yuj has been waiting for this forever! Man, he's so excited!"

With the most serious expression on her face, Lightning blandly said, "There's nothing to be excited about."

Snow's eyes widened comically. "What is she talking about?" he asked as he turned look at Serah.

Sadly, Serah answered, "She refuses to go on a date with Yuj." She frowned. "She said he's 'just a kid.'" She gave a knowing look to her husband. Immediately, he knew what she was going to tell Lightning when their voices became raised. "Go on, tell her what you think."

"Well…" Snow started, not wanting to be throttled by the woman that had just begun to accept him as her brother-in-law. Gathering his confidence, he told her hesitantly, "Hope… was just a kid, too."

_Slam!_

"That didn't go well."

* * *

Clouds of sand were kicked up by thick, rubber-soled boots as Lightning trudged along the shoreline of New Bodhum. A frown was painted on her face, her eyes glued to the millions of grains of sand on the ground. She walked, and walked, until she saw the Light in the Sky set at the horizon. Even then she didn't make her way back to what was called her home—but really, it wasn't a home at all. It was just a house. The people inside hadn't welcomed her warmly and had practically kicked her out. All because her lover had died. Her grief was great—couldn't they see it?

She stared at the black sky for a few moments, unmoving. Finally, she began walking once again. At first, she wasn't sure where she was headed, but after a few yards, she knew where her heart had led her.

Burning liquid felt like honey as it slid down her parched throat. The legs of the stool she sat on stuck to the backs of her thighs. A woman stood in front of her. The woman's name she couldn't remember for the life of her. She could have sworn it started with an 'M,' but she wasn't completely sure. All she knew was that the woman had been part of NORA while the faction still existed. But that didn't matter, not then. The amount of alcohol in her system—or lack thereof—was important to Lightning then. She lacked something; there was a void in her very soul. She would have taken anything to fill that hole burned in her heart.

"You sure know how to hold your alcohol," the nameless bartender told Lightning, surprise evident in her tone of voice. "Something gotcha down, hon?"

Grunting in response, Lightning tilted her most recent glass to her lips and gulped what was left in the container. She 'hm'ed contentedly before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Very attractive, that was," a high-pitched male voice called from beside her. The intruder startled the woman, causing her to jump slightly.

Glancing at the 'man' out of the corner of her eye, she saw bright blue hair. That was all she needed right then—Yuj. Though she recognized his presence, she gave no response to his sarcastic comment.

"Cold shoulder, I see," Yuj mumbled jokingly.

"Are you capable of completing your sentences?" Lightning asked grumpily. Some bite was taken away from her words as she slurred through her alcohol-numbed tongue. "And not being a smart ass," she added as an after-thought.

Yuj chuckled lightly, nervously. "I'm not great at multi-tasking, but for you, I'll try." The sweet comment caught Lightning off-guard. As per usual, she didn't let her shock seep through her steely exterior. "So…" Yuj began, but let his voice trail off in fear of sounding like an idiot. "About that date…" Lightning continued to stare absent-mindedly at the boy, only making him more nervous.

_She's not making this any easier._

"W-will you?" Yuj asked, his voice cracking in the middle of his question. He lifted a hand to scratch at the back of his neck, a bad habit of his. "I-I mean, I know it's still soon for you, but I've really wanted to ask you out for a while…"

"Sure," Lightning blurted out, surprising even herself. Just hours ago she'd been completely against the idea of going out with a minor (was he even a minor anymore?), and here she was, agreeing without hesitation. "Whenever is fine."

Yuj stared at her, speechless, for a few minutes. He didn't know what to say. For sure, he'd thought, she'd put up a fight, or at least tell him 'maybe later.' Instead, she'd steadfastly agreed. "Th-that's great! I'll pick you up at Snow and Serah's place tomorrow, say, seven?"

Lightning nodded. As Yuj began to turn away, she grabbed his arm and pulled him back to the bar. The two were face-to-face. Lightning felt Yuj's warm, minty breath puff against her cheeks. Smiling, she leaned in and pecked the boy on his left cheek. She said nothing, but turned back to the bar and picked up her drink once again. Without a word, Yuj left.

When he was sure Lightning couldn't see him, he let a wide grin spread across his face.

From her stool, Lightning sighed.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

**Authoress' Note: THIS IS REALLY GOODBYE! :'( **

**Anywho, I hope y'all enjoyed this finale :3 **

**Tell me whatcha think! The button is right there, underneath this message! Click click click! **

**Ja ne! Until next time! :3**


	9. Sequel: Day in, Day Out Preview

**It's been a while, ne? I've begun writing the sequel, and so here's a little preview of the first chapter. I know it's really tacky to do something like this, but I felt that after all the bad reviews and how many people were upset with how the original ended, I needed to have some kind of explanation.**

**If I had ended Love is Like a Square the way many of you wanted, I would have had nothing to go off of in order to write a sequel. I thought a sequel would be better than a short-lived happy ending. If you still don't understand, feel free to PM me or just be mad at me. Whatever you choose.**

* * *

**Full Summary: A year after Cocoon was saved, Hope and Vanille died, and Fang gave her life for mankind, Lightning, Snow, Serah, and everyone else start over. With pregnancies, wild affairs, scandals, breakups, and hookups, who knows what could happen in the world of New Bodhum. Will include yaoi, yuri, and most likely, lemons. Gadot, Lebreau, Maqui, and Yuj will be in the story as main characters!**

* * *

_**Day One; Yuj/Lightning**_

"…You'll have to get over Hope sooner or later. Why not sooner, Lightning?" Yuj asked, exasperated. The mention of Hope caused Lightning's ears to perk up. Blue orbs bore into those of her 'date,' urging him to explain himself. Malice was written plainly across her face at the realization of his words. "You're only holding yourself back! You're living with your younger sister, for Maker's sake! I think… I think it's time you put the past behind you."

"That's none of your business," Lightning seethed. "Nor is it any of your concern. I agreed to date you. Isn't that enough for you? Do you want more from me? What do you want from me, Yuj?" The way she spat his name, as if it were acid on her tongue, made him wince.

Sighing, Yuj steeled himself. "I want you to be happy."

Tears burned Lightning's eyes.

_I want you to be happy…_

The words rang through her head, echoing, over and over, until she thought her eardrums were going to explode. It was something that Hope would have said. She'd been sure he had said it at some point. Then, she mentally slapped herself for having forgotten anything Hope said. If only she had known that he was to leave her so soon, she would have tried so much harder to remember everything about Hope, everything thing he whispered in her ear, everything he did to make her heart flutter.

_I want you to be happy…_

* * *

With her lips quirked upward, she realized that maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.

* * *

_**Day One; Serah**_

_You'll be fine… Everything will be fine!_

Sand dusted the air in small peppered clouds behind Serah as she walked along the New Bodhum coastline. Hands clasped in front of her stomach, she twiddled her thumbs nervously. Ahead of her, Lebreau's newly rebuilt café shone as a beacon in the darkened area. Hundreds of twinkling lights were strung from tree to tree all around the establishment. The closer Serah got, the more her stomach twisted and churned in anxiety. A million thoughts raced in her mind, all about one thing. She wasn't sure about it all, but if what she thought was true, she knew she'd have a lot ahead of her.

As the champagne blonde stepped through the threshold of the outdoor bar, Lebreau looked up at Serah and smiled broadly. The woman had a dirty rag in her hand, looking like she'd been cleaning for hours. Seeing the serious look on Serah's face, she set the towel down and walked out from behind the bar. "What can I do for you, Serah?" she asked as she pulled the unsuspecting girl into a motherly embrace. "Is something wrong?"

"Um, well…" Serah trailed off, her voice small and shy.

* * *

_**Day Two; Snow**_

The sound of hammers pounding against nails filled the warm morning air. Metal scraping against metal shrieked loudly, the sound deafening to the workers within hearing range. The early-rising sun beat down on the sweaty backs of several workers as they bent over their work, grunting from exertion. It was hard work, yes, but in the end, New Bodhum would be built and many families would be happily living in their homes. After all was said and done, it would seem as if nothing bad had ever happened in the first place.

"So, how was the wedding, Snow?" Maqui asked from under a newly-forming velocycle. His tone was nasal, sarcastic.

Snow looked over in the direction of the voice and chuckled at the blonde spikes sticking out from under the vehicle. From beside him, Gadot laughed heartily.

"Are you still mad you didn't get invited to the wedding, kid?" Snow asked jokingly. His gloved fingers gripped the wrench in his hands as he twisted a stubborn bolt into its rightful place. The small contraption in his palm was created by none other than Maqui. The kid, however, complained about having to deal with such delicate things. Snow, being the ever-so-helpful man he was, offered to help. But really, he wanted a break from the blistering heat of outdoor work.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed the preview! I'll try to get the sequel up soon, guys!**


	10. SEQUEL NOW UP!

Hey guys! I know y'all are probably tired of hearing from me, and I hate to create a new chapter JUST about this, but I figured this is the best way to get the word out there, sooooo...

_**THE FIRST CHAPTER OF SEQUEL TO "LOVE IS LIKE A SQUARE" IS POSTED AND CAN BE FOUND IN MY PROFILE UNDER "DAY IN, DAY** **OUT."**_

For those of you too lazy to go back to my profile, _**here is the link**_ (without the spaces):

http : / / www . fanfiction . net /s /7904052 /1 /Day_In_Day_Out

Also, I'd like to say HAPPY FANFICTION BIRTHDAY TO ME! I AM TWO THIS YEAR! :3 :) :D

Thankies, guys, so much for all the love and support!

Now go give me love and support for the new story! :)

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or leave a review _with an email address or something so I can respond to you! _I feel so bad when I get a question as a review and can't answer it!

Anywho, reviews are greatly appreciated!

GO CHECK IT OUT! :)

P.S. If you're having issues with the "Yuj and Lightning" thing, fear not-it is NOT permanent.


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